Lophophora williamsii 'Kikko Variegata'
Lophophora williamsii 'Kikko Variegata is a selected form of peyote that layers two prized traits onto a single plant: the swollen, tortoise-shell tubercles of the Kikko cultivar and irregular colored variegation in which patches of the body lack normal green pigment. The result is a chunky, geometric plant whose raised, dome-like tubercles are streaked or blotched with cream, yellow, pink or orange where chlorophyll is reduced or absent. Its care follows the parent species, Lophophora williamsii, with a few extra considerations typical of variegated cacti.
Description
Like all forms of Lophophora williamsii, 'Kikko Variegata' is a small, spineless, blue-green button cactus with a soft, felted crown. The Kikko trait (from the Japanese for "tortoise-shell") exaggerates the tubercles so that instead of low ribs the body is broken into raised, rounded, hexagonal humps, giving a distinctly reptilian, geometric surface. Onto this the variegation adds sectors of pale tissue — cream, butter-yellow, pink or apricot — scattered unpredictably across the tubercles and flanks.
Because variegated sectors contain little or no chlorophyll, the pattern is unstable: it can shift, spread or revert as the plant grows, and no two specimens are alike. Fully pale areas cannot photosynthesise, so a plant with heavy variegation grows more slowly and is more delicate than a solid-green peyote. Flowers, when they appear from the woolly crown, are the small pale pink typical of the species.
Cultivation
Care is essentially as for the parent species — see Lophophora williamsii for the full account — with adjustments for the variegation and the exaggerated tubercles.
- Light. Variegated plants need bright but gentler light. The pale, chlorophyll-poor sectors scorch far more easily than green tissue, so give strong light with protection from harsh direct midday sun, and acclimatise slowly to avoid bleaching or burn marks. Too little light, however, causes etiolation and flattens the prized Kikko relief.
- Water and soil. Use a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix and water only when the soil has dried completely, keeping the plant dry through a cool winter rest. Peyote is exceptionally slow and rot-prone, and a heavily variegated plant even more so; see Watering and Repotting.
- Grafting. As with many strongly variegated and slow cacti, specimens are frequently maintained by grafting onto a vigorous rootstock such as Myrtillocactus or Trichocereus. A graft supplies extra energy that a partly non-photosynthetic plant struggles to produce on its own roots, keeps the variegation growing steadily, and can intensify the tubercle relief.
Neither trait reliably comes true from seed — the variegation especially rarely does — so 'Kikko Variegata' is usually perpetuated vegetatively from offsets or by grafting. See Propagation — offsets and Propagation — seed.
Legal status
Lophophora williamsii contains mescaline, and all forms of the plant — including selected cultivars such as 'Kikko Variegata' — are treated the same under the law as the wild species. In the United States mescaline and peyote are listed as Schedule I controlled substances, so cultivating or possessing the plant is federally prohibited outside of specifically exempted uses (notably bona fide religious use by the Native American Church).[1] Regulations vary by country and, within the US, by state, so growers should confirm the rules that apply where they live.
Like the entire cactus family, Lophophora is also listed under CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade. This section is provided for factual, horticultural reference only.
See also
- Lophophora williamsii — the parent species
- Lophophora — the genus overview
- Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — offsets
References
- ↑ United States Controlled Substances Act, Schedule I.