divination, calling them thle-pela-kano or “leaf of god” and 
believing them to clarify the senses (MacDougall 1960b). Al- 
though the plant has long been used in folk medicine (Diaz 
1979), chemical studies have revealed only a large number of 
polyacetylenes, sesquiterpene lactones, chromenes, triterpenes 
and flavonoids (Bohlmann and Zdero 1977; Quijano, et al. 1977, 
1978, 1979), none of which could be expected to account for 
hallucinogenic effects. Preliminary investigations have indicated 
the presence of a possible new alkaloid (Holmstedt, pers. 
commun.). 
Coriariaceae 
Coriaria L. 
Long recognized in the Andes as dangerously toxic to ani- 
mals, Coriaria thymifolia H. & B. ex Willd. has recently been 
reported as hallucinogenic, giving a sensation of flight. The 
fruits, reputedly containing catechol derivatives, are eaten for 
inebriation in Ecuador, where the plant is called shanshi (Naran- 
jo, 1969; Naranjo and Naranjo, 1961). 
Several toxic and structurally related sesquiterpenes have 
been isolated from the Coriariaceae: coriaric acid, coriamyrtin, 
coriatin, tutin (XXXIV), and pseudotutin (Kariyone and Ohsu- 
mi 1943; Kinoshita 1929, and 1930; Lowe and White 1972; 
Maranon, 1932). 
Species of Coriaria have long been known as toxic plants, and 
this toxicity could be related to the alleged hallucinogenic 
activity of C. thymifolia (Chelvers 1972). 
The genus, the only one in the family, has some 15 species 
distributed in Eurasia, New Zealand, and highland tropical 
America. 
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