Anadenanthera

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.

Clade:Tracheophytes

Clade:Angiosperms

Clade:Eudicots

Clade:Rosids

Quick facts Scientific classification, Species ...

Anadenanthera

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Clade:	Mimosoid clade
Genus:	Anadenanthera Speg. Speg.
Species
2; see text
Synonyms^[1]
Niopa (Benth.) Britton & Rose

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.^[2]

The main active constituent of Anadenanthera is bufotenin.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Species

Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan
- Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil
- Anadenanthera colubrina var. colubrina
Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg.
- Anadenanthera peregrina var. falcata
- Anadenanthera peregrina var. peregrina

Chemical compounds

Chemical compounds contained in Anadenanthera include:

5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, bark^[6]
Serotonin^[6]
N-Methylserotonin^[6]
5-Methoxy-N-methyltryptamine, bark^[6]
Bufotenin, seeds, bark^[6]
Bufotenine N-oxide, seeds^[6]
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, seeds, pods, bark^[6]
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine-N-oxide, Seeds^[6]
N-Methyltryptamine, bark^[6]
2-Methyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole^[6]
2-Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole^[6]
1,2-Dimethyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole^[6]

References

Notes

[1]
Anadenanthera Speg. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
[2]
Mangaravite, Érika; da Silveira, Thamyres Cardoso; Vinson, Christina Cleo; Bueno, Marcelo Leandro; Silva, Roberta dos Santos; Carniello, Maria Antonia; Veldman, Joseph W.; Garcia, Magali Gonçalves; de Oliveira, Luiz Orlando (2024). "Unlocking the secret diversity of Anadenanthera: insights from molecular genetics of four evolving species". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 204 (1): 47–62. doi:10.1093/botlinnean/boad037. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
[3]
Ott J (2001). "Pharmañopo-psychonautics: human intranasal, sublingual, intrarectal, pulmonary and oral pharmacology of bufotenine". J Psychoactive Drugs. 33 (3): 273–281. doi:10.1080/02791072.2001.10400574. PMID 11718320.
[4]
Ott J (2001). "Shamanic-Snuff Psychonautica: Pharmañopo: Bufotenine—Psychonautics". Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines. Entheobotanica. pp. 99–116 (105–112, 114–115). ISBN 978-1-888755-02-2. OCLC 56061312. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
[5]
Walker, Scott R.; Pullella, Glenn A.; Piggott, Matthew J.; Duggan, Peter J. (5 July 2023). "Introduction to the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelic drugs". Australian Journal of Chemistry. 76 (5): 236–257. doi:10.1071/CH23050. ISSN 0004-9425. Retrieved 15 April 2025. An alternative strategy discovered by early cultures is to administer the psychoactive substances in the form of snuffs, thus avoiding the 'first-pass metabolism' that occurs in the liver if taken orally. Although widespread across South America and the Caribbean, this practice is thought to originate from continental South America. Seeds of two Anadenanthera species, A. peregrina and A. colubrina, and the resin of a number of Virola species, were used for this purpose and have been shown to contain DMT (2), a range of DMT analogues and β-carbolines.[7] Bufotenin (11), in particular, is found in seeds of certain species of Anadenanthera and in the latex of a sub-species of the north-eastern South American tree Brosimum acutifolium used by indigenous shamans.[11] In addition to plant sources, bufotenin (11) is also found in the skin secretions and eggs of several toads, particularly the Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius). The evidence that bufotenin is actually psychoactive is weak, however, and these toad secretions contain several other tryptamines including more powerful psychedelics such as 5-MeO-DMT (12, Fig. 1).[12]
[6]
Torres, Constantino Manuel; Repke, David B. (April 7, 2006). Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-7890-2642-2 – via Google Books.

General references

Constantino Torres - Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of South America (2006) ISBN 0-7890-2642-2
Jonathan Ott - Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines (2001) ISBN 1-888755-02-4
Richard Evans Schultes - Plants of the Gods (1992) ISBN 0-89281-979-0
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.