Correlation of mescaline concentrations in Lophophora williamsii (Cactaceae) with rib numbers and diameter of crown (U.S.A.)
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas July 15, 2020 R. Newbold, Sohan de Silva, Martin Terry 1 citation
Mescaline concentration in peyote cactus crown tissue does not correlate with crown diameter or rib number, despite the hypothesis of a positive relationship. Crown tissue from 30 wild-collected and 9 greenhouse-grown specimens was analyzed using liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Statistical tests (Pearson’s chi-squared) found no significant correlation between mescaline concentration and rib number (field: p=0.392; greenhouse: p=0.313) or between mescaline concentration and crown diameter (field: p=0.251; greenhouse: p=0.229). The findings contribute to conservation of this vulnerable species and preservation of Native American culture.