A Visual Guide for the Identification of Ayahuasca Constituents

[SnozzleBerry]

This is a work in progress with the goal being the creation of a document from which a person who knows practically nothing about botany and/or ayahuasca components could identify plants used in ayahuasca brews. At present it includes botanical sketches and voucher records for some plants used in ayahuasca. All voucher photographs are high quality and, when the file is opened, can be zoomed-in well over 300-400% while maintaining perfect resolution.

Ideally, it will eventually include images of live plants as well, but before doing that, pictures of live plants must be reasonably verified to be the plants the photographer claims they are. Sketches from botanical literature and pictures of voucher material from herbaria do not require such scrutiny as they have already been reviewed by professional botanists.

A list of ayahuasca admixture plants can be found in this thread. There are questions regarding additional vines, such as Alicia macrodisca and Stigmaphyllon sinuatum and their use in ayahuasca brews. If you have any information to share, please feel free to add it to this thread.

As of now the following plants have been included in the chart. Plants with asterisks need either voucher pictures or updated botanical sketches, if possible.

A. anisopetala
*B. caapi
B. muricata
*T. methystica
D. cabrerana
P. alba
P. viridis
*T. sananho

And, here's the chart: A Visual Guide for the Identification of Ayahuasca Constituents

 

[jamie]

ok here is banisteriopsis muricata, labled "red ayahuasca".

The first photo is the dry vine itself, and the second photo is of a brew before it is fully reduced. Notice how the vine resembles banisteriopsis caapi, but is of a slightly redder tint, and how when brewed it colors the water a blood red.

 

[jamie]

here is alicia anisopetala, sold as "black ayahuasca"..

This vine is a sort of greyish color in some parts, and it less dense than both Banisteriopsis caapi and baisteriopsis muricata. It is almost corky. It smells different from both caapi and muricata, which have similar smells. This vine when brewed makes a more yellow brew when unreduced and then later takes on a darker almost blackish brown color. When reduced this vine produces a brew with an oily texture.