Malpighiaceae. One feature that is found in several members of this family, and rarely in others, is providing pollinators with rewards other than pollen or nectar; this is commonly in the form of nutrient oils (resins are offered by Clusiaceae). Genera[edit] References[edit] Davis, C. C., and W. Banisteriopsis caapi. Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as ayahuasca, caapi or yajé, is a South American jungle vine of the family Malpighiaceae. It is used to prepare ayahuasca, a decoction with a long history of entheogenic uses as a medicine and "plant teacher" among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Rainforest. It contains harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine, all of which are both beta-carboline harmala alkaloids and MAOIs. The MAOIs in B. caapi allow the primary psychoactive compound, DMT (which is introduced from the other primary ingredient in ayahausca, the Psychotria viridis plant), to be orally active.
The stems contain 0.11-0.83% beta-carbolines, with harmine and tetrahydroharmine as the major components.[2] Alkaloids are present in all parts of the plant.[3] The name ayahuasca means "vine of the soul" in Quechuan, and the shamans of the indigenous western Amazonian tribes use the plant in religious and healing ceremonies. Diplopterys cabrerana. Diplopterys cabrerana is a vine native to the Amazon Basin, spanning the countries of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.[1] In the Quechua languages it is called chaliponga or chagropanga; in parts of Ecuador it is known as chacruna—a name otherwise reserved for Psychotria viridis.
D. cabrerana and P. viridis are both common admixtures for ayahuasca. Both species are rich sources of N,N-DMT, a tryptamine endogenous in humans and other many other species. D. cabrerana additionally produces 5-MeO-DMT, a less common structural analog. The plant stores the alkaloids N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and N-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline in its leaves and stems.[1] Leaf samples were found to be 0.17-1.75% N,N-DMT,[1] but only trace amounts of N-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline occur in the leaves.[2] The leaves also store methyltryptamine and trace amounts of bufotenin.[1][2] See also[edit]