What is "obregonia"

Obregonia, the artichoke cactus, is a genus of cacti with a single species, Obregonia denegrii. The genus Obregonia is named after Álvaro Obregón, while the species is named after Ramon P. De Negri, who was the Minister of Agriculture of Mexico when the cacti was first discovered. This rare species resembles an inverted green pine cone with a woolly center. It grows slowly in culture and requires little water. It benefits from full sun and is multiplied by seed. It is very slow growing.

The Nahuatl Indians call the plant peyotl, and it is said to have hallucinogenic alkaloids. It is one of the closest living relatives of the genus Lophophora.

denigrii 9.JPG|Obregonia denigrii in flower denegrii 4.JPG|Obregonia denigrii seen from above denigrii 11.JPG|The flower of Obregonia denigrii