Echinopsis peruviana
Template:Taxobox begin Template:Taxobox image Template:Taxobox begin placement Template:Taxobox regnum entry Template:Taxobox divisio entry Template:Taxobox classis entry Template:Taxobox ordo entry Template:Taxobox familia entry Template:Taxobox genus entry Template:Taxobox species entry Template:Taxobox end placement Template:Taxobox section binomial botany Template:Taxobox end
Peruvian Torch cactus (Echinopsis peruviana, syn. Trichocereus peruvianus) is a fast-growing columnar cactus native to the western slope of the Andes in Peru. It is also sometimes known an Peruvian Fence Post.
The plant is bluish-green in colour, with frosted stems, and 6-8 broadly rounded ribs; it has large, white flowers. It can grow up to 7 meters tall, with stems up to 20 cm in diameter; it is fully erect to begin with, but later possibly arching over, or even becoming prostrate. Groups of 6-8 honey-coloured to brown rigid spines, up to 4 cm in length, with most about 1 cm, are located at the nodes, which are evenly spaced along the ribs, up to approximately 2.5 cm apart.
A short-spined variant which is nearly indentical in appearance to its relative, the San Pedro cactus, is known. It is therefore possible that many misidentified plants are being sold (both as Peruvian Torch and as San Pedro), but since local variations as well as hybrids do exist (both cultivated and natural), this will obviously make proper identification difficult.
Chemistry
It contains a number of psychoactive alkaloids, in particular the well-studied chemical mescaline, which it contains at levels comparable to those of the San Pedro cactus.
References and external Links
- James D. Mauseth, Roberto Kiesling, Cactus and Succulent Journal (US) 70 (1): 32-39
- Michael S. Smith, The Narcotic and Hallucinogenic Cacti of the New World
- Trichocereus Peruvianus at Mycotopia
- Trichocereus peruvianus - Peruvian torch cactus
- Growing Trichocereus species (Plot55.com)