Anadenanthera colubrina (also known asvilca,huilco,huilca,wilco,willka,curupay,curupau,cebil, orangico) is aSouth American tree closely related toyopo, orAnadenanthera peregrina. It grows to 5–20 m (16–66 ft) tall and the trunk is very thorny.[1] The leaves aremimosa-like, up to 30 cm (12 in) in length and they fold up at night.[2] InArgentina,A. colubrina produces flowers from September to December and bean pods from September to July.[3] In BrazilA. colubrina has been given "high priority" conservation status.[1]
Anadenanthera colubrina is known by many names throughoutSouth America. InPeru it is known aswillka (also spelledwilca,vilca andhuilca) which in the Quechua languages means "sacred".[citation needed]
A. colubrina grows at altitudes of about 315–2,200 m (1,033–7,218 ft) with roughly 25–60 cm (9.8–23.6 in) per year of precipitation and amean temperature of 21 °C (70 °F). It tends to grow on rocky hillsides in well-drained soil, often in the vicinity of rivers. It grows quickly at 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) per year in good conditions.[5] The growing areas are often "savannah to dryrainforest." Flowering can begin in as soon as two years aftergermination.[6]
The beans ofA. colubrina are used to make ahallucinogenic snuff called vilca (sometimes calledcebil). The bean pods are roasted to facilitate removal of the husk, followed by grinding with amortar and pestle into a powder and mixed with a natural form ofcalcium hydroxide (lime) orcalcium oxide. The main active constituent of vilca isbufotenin; to a much lesser degreeDMT and5-MeO-DMT are also present.[citation needed]A. colubrina has been found to contain up to 12.4% bufotenin.[8]
It is also believed that the ground beans were used as a snuff by theTiwanaku.[9] There have been reports of active use of vilca byWichi shamans, under the namehatáj.[10]
Archaeological evidence showsAnadenanthera colubrina beans have been used as hallucinogens for thousands of years. The oldest clear evidence of use comes from pipes made ofpuma bone (Felis concolor) found withA. colubrina beans at Inca Cueva, a site in theHumahuaca gorge at the edge of thePuna ofJujuy Province, Argentina. The pipes were found to contain the hallucinogen DMT, one of the compounds found inAnadenanthera beans.Radiocarbon testing of the material gave a date of 2130 BC, suggesting thatAnadenanthera use as a hallucinogen is over 4,000 years old.Snuff trays and tubes were found in the central Peruvian coast dating back to 1200 BC. Archaeological evidence of insufflation use within the period 500-1000 AD, in northern Chile, has been reported.[citation needed]
In northeasternBrazil, the tree is primarily used astimber and for making wooden implements. "It is used in construction and for making doorandwindow frames,barrels, mooring masts,hedges, platforms, floors,agricultural implements and railway sleepers."[5]The wood is also reportedly a preferred source ofcookingfuel, since it makes a hot and long-lasting fire. It is widely used there in the making of fences, sincetermites seem not to like it. At one time, it was used in the construction ofhouses, but people are finding it more difficult to find suitable trees for that purpose.[1]
Rätsch, Christian;Schultes, Richard Evans; Hofmann, Albert (2001).Plants of the gods: their sacred, healing, and hallucinogenic powers. Rochester, Vt: Healing Arts Press.ISBN0-89281-979-0.
Pachter IJ, Zacharias DE, Ribeiro O (1959). "Indole Alkaloids ofAcer saccharinum (the Silver Maple),Dictyloma incanescens,Piptadenia columbrina, andMimosa hostilis".J. Org. Chem.24 (9):1285–1287.doi:10.1021/jo01091a032.
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