| Peyote | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Peyote in the wild | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Lophophora |
| Species: | L. williamsii |
| Binomial name | |
| Lophophora williamsii | |
| Synonyms | |
Echinocactus williamsii Lemaire ex Salm-Dyck | |
Thepeyote is either of twospecies of the cactusgenus Lophophora ofplants in the familyCactaceae.
The most common plant, L. williamsii, grow inNorth America, mostly inMexico,[2] can be found in theChihuahuan desert of southernTexas and northern Mexico. The size is about eight centimeters (three inches) wide and five centimeters (two inches) tall. It is mostly blue green in color, with pink to white flowers, growing in groups among scrub, in areas withlimestone soil. L. diffusa grows only in a small area in central Mexico, the color is yellow green, with white to yellow flowers.
Peyote hashallucinogenic effects, made by at least 28 differentalkaloids, mostlymescaline. In many countries it is illegal to sell, use or posses both dried plant-material and living plants, but some places also give an exception from thelaw when used in religious rituals, such as byThe Native American Church where it is used in a similar way as someNative American tribes, that likely have used peyote for at least 5,500 years. in their rituals.
