Turbinicarpus lophophoroides
| Light | Bright light with a little shade from the fiercest afternoon sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Sparingly; allow to dry completely between waterings, kept bone-dry in winter |
| Soil | Very gritty, mostly mineral mix with extra gypsum or limestone (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; roughly USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Seed (primary) |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Turbinicarpus lophophoroides is a small, flat-topped, peyote-like Turbinicarpus from the low, seasonally flooded gypsum flats of central-eastern San Luis Potosí, Mexico, around Las Tablas and Villa Juárez. It has a soft, woolly crown, only a few weak and often deciduous spines, and produces large white-to-pink flowers that are big for the size of the plant, giving it a strong resemblance to a miniature Lophophora — the source of its species name.
Description
Turbinicarpus lophophoroides forms a small, solitary, flattened to slightly depressed body, usually only a few centimetres across and barely raised above the soil. The greyish- to bluish-green surface is divided into low, spiralling tubercles, and the crown is filled with white to greyish wool, heightening the peyote-like look. Spines are few, weak and often fall away with age, so mature plants can appear almost spineless.
Flowers appear from the woolly apex and are relatively large for the plant, typically white to pale pink and sometimes with a darker central stripe, opening in the warmer months. Like most of the genus, the plant has a stout taproot and can retract into the ground during drought, leaving little more than the flat top visible among the pale mineral crust.
Distribution and habitat
The species is a narrow endemic of low, salty gypsum (and silty limestone) flats in central-eastern San Luis Potosí, in north-central Mexico, in the area of Las Tablas, Villa Juárez, Cerritos and Ciudad del Maíz. It grows on open, highly mineral plains that are seasonally flooded during the rains and bake hard in the dry season, when the plant withdraws below the crust; it often sits low among sparse grasses and small shrubs that offer a little shade and root shelter.
As with all Turbinicarpus, wild populations are small and localised, making them vulnerable to over-collection and habitat disturbance. The entire genus is listed under CITES Appendix I, the strictest tier, so international trade in wild plants is prohibited. Nursery-propagated, seed-grown plants are widely available, legal to own and trade, and should always be preferred over wild-collected material; collecting from habitat is not an option.
Cultivation
Turbinicarpus lophophoroides is a rewarding but water-sensitive little plant, and rot from overwatering is the most common way it is lost. Grow it in a very free-draining, almost entirely mineral mix — many growers add extra gypsum or crushed limestone to echo its native substrate — in a deep-enough pot to accommodate the taproot. Give it bright light with only light shading from the harshest afternoon sun; too little light causes the body to swell and lose its flat, characterful shape.
Water thoroughly only once the soil has dried out completely, then wait, and keep the plant entirely dry through a cool winter rest. This dry, cool dormancy is what triggers reliable spring flowering and helps prevent rot. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the standard and by far the most practical method. The seeds are tiny but germinate readily on a warm, humid, mineral surface, and seed-raising is how the species is kept in cultivation and away from wild populations. Because plants are usually solitary and slow, offsets are rare, so vegetative propagation is uncommon; some growers graft seedlings onto a vigorous rootstock to speed early growth before returning them to their own roots. See Propagation — seed for a full walkthrough.
Common problems
- Rot — nearly always from overwatering, a slow-draining mix, or water sitting in the woolly crown; the plant softens and browns from the base or apex.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the body dome up and lose its flat, tidy symmetry.
- Taproot loss — a cramped pot or stale, water-retentive soil can rot the taproot; repot into fresh gritty mix and a deeper container.
- Pests — root mealybugs (white residue among the roots at repotting) and red spider mites are the usual offenders. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Turbinicarpus — the genus overview
- Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — seed