Lophophora williamsii

Botanical Description

Lophophora williamsii is a low-growing, spine-free cactus growing from a long, spindle-shaped rootstock. It produces one to several globose to flattened globose stems around 2 - 6cm tall and 4 - 11cm in diameter, with clumps that can be 100cm wide[ 1987 Title The Cactus Family Publication Author Anderson E.F. Publisher Timber Press; Portland, Oregon Year 2001 ISBN 0-88192-498-9 Description An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation.. ]. The plant has a long history of use by native peoples, both as a medicine and as a hallucinogenic plant used for spiritual purposes. Both uses continue to the present day, and the plant is harvested on a large scale for personal use and to make medicines on a commercial scale. The plant is also grown as an ornamental. Lophophora williamsii is heavily harvested in the wild throughout much of the range of the species, in some areas to the point of extirpation, providing evidence that at least 30% of the population will be lost. This reduction is very likely to be irreversible given that whole individuals are harvested and population regeneration is thus unlikely. Even though the species has a very large range, land use change is a significant threat for some subpopulations and the levels of exploitation are not likely to stop in the near future. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].