PEYOTE FLOWER
FLOWERING OF THE PEYOTE CACTUS
Flowering of the peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
1. Age of first flowering
The age at which a Peyote first blooms varies.
The first flowering depends on the amount of light and nutrients a Peyote receives.
Usually, a Peyote plant flowers from about 3 centimetres in diameter.
If the Peyote grows slowly, this is after about three years.
Buy flowering Peyote Cacti here.
2. Flowering period of the Peyote
The flowering period of the Peyote is from March to early October.
Peyote Cacti only bloom when the plant is growing well.
Often a Peyote plant blooms with more flowers at the same time (2 or 3 flowers).
Flowering of a Peyote plant occurs every two to four weeks.
If a Peyote plant makes seeds, it will flower later.
3. Flowering times of the Peyote
The opening of the flower of a Peyote occurs in the early morning.
The maximum opening of the flower is in the early afternoon.
The closing of the Peyote's flower starts slowly in the late afternoon.
By mid-evening, the flower of the Peyote is closed.
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Flower of the Peyote Cactus (Lophophora williamsii)
4. Origin of the Peyote flower
The flower of the Peyote is part of sexual reproduction.
In the growth point in the centre of the head of a Peyote plant, white to beige wool first develops.
These white woolly hairs grow from each areole (= white felty spot from which thorns and flowers grow).
The white wool protects the flower from pests, sun and cold.
The white-pink buds and white-pink flowers grow up between this wool.
5. Growth of the Peyote flower
In the morning, the Peyote flower opens as the inside of the flower grows.
In the evening, the Peyote flower closes because the outside of the flower grows.
So a Peyote flower grows every day during flowering.
So on the first day of flowering, the Peyote flower is smaller than after a few days of flowering.
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Formation of seeds in the Peyote Cactus (Seed formation)
1. Fertilisation of the Peyote Cactus
1. Pollination of the Peyote's flower
The yellow pollen of a Peyote flower makes contact with the stigma of the pistil of the same or another Peyote flower.
2. Fertilisation of Peyote eggs
The sperm cells from the pollen grow into the stigma and down through the style of the pistil.
The sperm cells fertilise the ova in the ovary at the bottom of the flower.
The fertilised ova grow into black Peyote seeds through cell division.
By pollination with its own pollen, the Peyote Cactus also produces seeds, but fewer seeds and also smaller seeds.
Fertilisation with another Peyote that is genetically different, however, produces more seeds and larger seeds.
Genetically different = both Peyote's are not cuttings from the same plant, or cuttings from each other.
2. Formation of Seed Berries in the Peyote
1. Formation of Peyote seed berries
The ovary with growing Peyote seeds grows into a pink seed berry (fruit).
These pink Peyote fruits slowly grow upwards between the white wool at the end of the growth period.
Eventually, the pink Peyote seed berry grows above the white wool into the head of the Peyote.
2. Shape of the Peyote seed berries
The seed berries are shaped like a cigar, and are pink in colour.
The length of a Peyote seed berry (fruit) is 10 - 15 mm.
The diameter of a seed berry is about 3 - 5 mm.
3. Peyote seeds
The black seeds of the Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) are 1 to 2 millimetres long and thick.
The length of Peyote seeds is slightly larger than the diameter.
Buy Peyote Cactus seeds (Lophophora williamsii) here.
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Photos of Peyote Cactus flowering by phase
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Description
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The flower bud of the Peyote Cactus has just grown up between the white wool.
Note the dark brown colour of the outer petals.
Before flowering, a Peyote plant first makes white wool in the Peyote's skull.
Only then does the Peyote start flowering.
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Detail shot (enlargement) of the previous photos of the Peyote Cactus flower bud.
The dark stripes on the outer petals are clearly visible.
The thin white wool hairs are also visible under the Peyote's flower bud.
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The pink flower of the Peyote Cactus has just opened.
Left photo
A curved pink petal can be seen at the bottom left of the flower,
which has not yet fully opened.
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The pink Peyote flower has opened even further.
Left photo
In the centre of the Peyote flower are:
1. the pink tops of the four stigmas of the pistil.
2. the yellow stamens placed around the pistil.
Right photo
The white wool near the flower can be vaguely seen in the right photo of the flower,
as well as the beige flower remnants of some old faded Peyote flowers.
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The pink-coloured Peyote Cactus flower has opened to its maximum extent.
The diameter of the Peyote flower:
1. is almost as large as the diameter of the Peyote Cactus plant.
2. gets bigger every day as the petals grow.
Right photo
Many petals of the Peyote have a darker brown-pink centre stripe.
White woolly hairs can be vaguely seen under the opened flower
Bottom left : The beige flower remnants of some old faded Peyote flowers.
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Left photo.
The folded pink petals of the faded Peyote flower (bottom right) will no longer open.
A fresh deep-pink Peyote fruit can be seen at the bottom left of the Peyote head.
Right photo
On the pink Peyote fruit are the desiccated beige petals.
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Left photo
A fresh Peyote fruit can be seen at the bottom,
but also some dried-up old beige Peyote fruits.
Right photo
Inside the black and beige desiccated fruit on the right are some black seeds
of the Peyote Cactus.
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