Indirect evidence has suggested that another species, Ana- 
denanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan, might formerly have been 
the source of the narcotic snuffs known in southern Peru and 
Bolivia as vilca or huilca, and in Argentina as cebil (Altschul 
1964). Since this species is closely related to the more northern 
A. peregrina, and its chemical constituents are very similar, A. 
colubrina may well have been aboriginally of value as a hallu- 
cinogen. Field work has established its contemporary use as a 
narcotic in northern Argentina (Califano 1975). 
Anadenanthera comprises only the two species discussed 
above. Native to South America, they are distinguished from the 
closely allied genus Piptadenia both morphologically and chem- 
ically (Altschul 1964). 
Mimosa L. 
The allied genus Mimosa likewise yields a psychotomimetic, 
vinho de jurema. An infusion of the roots of M. hostilis (Mart.) 
Benth. forms the centre of the ancient Yurema cult of the Kariri, 
Pankaruru, and other Indians of Pernambuco State, Brazil 
(Schultes 1965, 1966a). The drink, said to induce glorious 
visions of the spirit world, was reported to contain an alkaloid 
originally called nigerine; now known to be N,N-dimethyltryp- 
tamine (XXV), the active principle (Goncalves de Lima 1946). 
The genus Mimosa comprises about 500 tropical or subtropi- 
cal herbs and small shrubs, mostly American, but a few are 
native to Africa and Asia. It is closely related to Anadenanthera 
and Piptadenia. 
Malpighiaceae 
Diplopterys A. Juss. 
One of the numerous admixtures of the ayahuasca-cwapi-yvaje 
drink prepared from bark of Banisteriopsis Caapi or B. inebri- 
ans (which contain B-carboline bases) is the leaf of Diplopterys 
Cabrerana*, known in the western Amazon of Colombia and 
*The correct name of this plant has recently been shown to be Diplopterys Cabrerana 
(Cuatr.) Gates (Gates 1979). All the chemical studies, however, have been published 
under Banisteriopsis Rusbyana (Ndz.) Mort. 
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