Lophophora fricii Habermann

Lophophora fricii was named after the famous Czech explorer, ethnographer, writer and specialist of cacti, Alberto Vojtech Frič. Frič travelled in the territory of Mexico and the USA in 1923-'24 and collected, described and sent numerous plants into Europe. The first individuals of Lophophora fricii was collected on limestone rocks, close to San Pero, Coahuila, Mexico in 1923. Frič labelled the plant as Anhalonium sp. Fl. rosea for first. He also described that the plants can reach a diameter of 40 cm and develops 13-21 ribs. From 1935, this taxon was known as L. wiliamsii, as the plants sent to Europe, disappeared and the eyote with deep rose flowers became forgotten. Vlastimil Habermann started to study the documents of Frič in the 1960s and pointed on the taxonomical independence of Frič's taxon. The New Cactus Lexicon accepts its independence, and, based on the work of Habermann, describes it as a well-characterised taxon. This species inhabits limestone rocks, close to the village of Viesca in the Southeast corner of Coahuila de Zaragosa, in the North part of Mexico, at 1100-1600 m asl. There are four populations, the individuals of that at El Amparo live together with L. williamsii. Some authors pointed on that there are also intermediate forms between the two taxa at this locality. The flowers of L. diffusa is mostly silky glancing, deep rose coloured, but has some variability among the individuals and the populations. In a single population there are plants with deep and pale rose coloured flowers as well. The flowers of the population at Viesca have a very pale rose, nearly white colour. The special metabolites of L. fricii and L. diffusa have a very similar profile, even in spite of the large geographical distance.