n 



HEB&}{ONV/LLe 



/AGUILARES 



PLAIN 



PL/MN 



tablp hi us 



//////// M'"^ 



^/i,M ,97S 



plant, sometimes referred to as "Father" or "Grandfather Peyote," 

 becomes the highly revered "Peyote Chief," which is placed on the 

 ceremonial moon altar as the visible intermediary Peyote between 

 God and man. 



A species of spineless cactus sometimes confused with Peyote is 

 the "Star cactus" {Echinocactus asterias), an extremely rare 

 plant in Texas, known to occur only in Starr County, bordering 

 Mexico, where the plant is more common. Indians and Peyoteros 

 harvest the "Star cactus," which they call "Star Peyote," as an 

 ornamental; the plant's association with Peyote in a symbolic 

 religious sense has resulted in this rare species to be almost close 

 to extinction. One Peyotero, who sells "Star Peyote" as an orna- 

 mental to Indians, also had a potted "False Ptyoit^" {Ariocarpus 

 fissuratus) for sale. Navaho Peyotists are said to harvest two 



79 



