Echinopsis scopulicola
| Echinopsis scopulicola | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Trichocereeae |
| Genus: | Echinopsis |
| Species: | E. scopulicola |
| Binomial name | |
| Echinopsis scopulicola (F.Ritter) Mottram | |
Echinopsis scopulicola is a type of cactus native to Bolivia, which contains psychedelic compounds. Many claim this species contains mescaline, which was until recently unconfirmed due to the lack of official research, but a study published in September 2010 by the International Society for Ethnopharmacology placed it in the top third of the results for their samples. This included 14 taxa/cultivars of the subgenus Trichocereus of the genus Echinopsis, with Scopulicola noted to contain 0.82% mescaline/dry weight in the outer green layer.
Names
This cactus is synonymous with Trichocereus scopulicola, and its scientific name is Echinopsis scopulicola.
Plant Description
This cactus grows 3–4 meters tall, and 8–10 cm in diameter, and is also noted for its unusually short spines. It readily forms hybrids with another Bolivian species, Trichocereus bridgesii.