Anadenanthera is a genus of South American trees in the Legume family, Fabaceae. The genus contains two species, A. colubrina and A. peregrina. These trees are known to the western world primarily as sources of the hallucinogenic snuffs vilca/cebil and yopo/cohoba.
A 2024 molecular marker study of few hundred specimens sampled across Brazil and lowland Bolivia supports a four-species hypothesis (A. colubrina (Vell.) Brenan, A. macrocarpa (Benth.) Brenan, A. peregrina (L.) Speg., and A. falcata (Benth.) Speg) for the Anadenanthera genus as opposed to a two-species, four-variety hypothesis.
The main active constituent of Anadenanthera is bufotenin.
Species Anadenanthera colubrina Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil Anadenanthera colubrina var. colubrina Anadenanthera peregrina Anadenanthera peregrina var. falcata Anadenanthera peregrina var. peregrina
Chemical compounds Chemical compounds contained in Anadenanthera include: 5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, bark Serotonin N-Methylserotonin 5-Methoxy-N-methyltryptamine, bark Bufotenin, seeds, bark Bufotenine N-oxide, seeds N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, seeds, pods, bark N,N-Dimethyltryptamine-N-oxide, Seeds N-Methyltryptamine, bark 2-Methyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole 2-Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole 1,2-Dimethyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole
References
Notes
General references Constantino Torres - Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of South America (2006) Jonathan Ott - Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines (2001) Richard Evans Schultes - Plants of the Gods (1992) Patricia J. Knobloch - Wari Ritual Power at Conchopata: An Interpretation of Anadenanthera Colubrina Iconography. Latin American Antiquity 11(4), 2000, pp. 387–402. Lycaeum > Leda > Anadenanthera Juan P. Ogalde, Bernardo T. Arriaza, and Elia C. Soto - Uso de plantas psicoactivas en el north de Chile: evidencia química del consumo de ayahuasca durante el periodo medio (500-1000 d.C.). Latin American Antiquity 21(4), 2010, pp 441–450.
External links Society of Ethnobotanical Studies and Modified States of Consciousness Who Was Who in the Andean Middle Horizon Prehistory: Plant Identification Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America