''Lophophora diffusa'', commonly known as false peyote, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae and one of the only two species in the Lophophora genus. It is endemic to Mexico in the outskirts of

Querétaro Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...

. This species contains zero to trace amounts of

mescaline Mescaline or mescalin (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a naturally occurring psychedelic protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, known for its hallucinogenic effects comparable to those of LSD and psilocybin. Biological sou ...

; pellotine, whose psychoactive effects are comparatively minimal, is the principal alkaloid. The species name ''diffusa'' refers to the flat tubercles that are outspread without the plant having prominent ribs.

Description

The plants are yellow-green, usually lacking well-defined ribs and furrows. The

podaria In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection, ...

are rarely elevated, but are broad and flat. The tufts of hair are usually spread unequally on the prominent podaria. The flowers are commonly whitish to yellowish-white.

Distribution

Its natural habitat is semi-deserts on slopes and river beds, and under the shade of various shrubs and nurse plants. It is considered vulnerable due to a very small distribution range, small population of less than 3,000 individuals, and illegal collecting. It is collected illegally by people seeking

peyote The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. ''Peyote'' is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar cocoon", from a root , "to gl ...

, and as an ornamental plant.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q146961 Flora of Mexico diffusa Vulnerable plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Léon Croizat