Voacanga africana is a 30 foot tall tree from the tropics of West Africa. The bark and seeds of the tree are used in Ghana as a poison, stimulant, aphrodisiac, and ceremonial psychedelic.

Voacanga Africana Root Bark is held in highest respect by certain African Shamans who use Voacanga Bark for visionary purposes and as a stimulant for long hunting trips. Voacanga africana contains voacangine, which is a common precursor in the semi-synthesis of the anti-addiction chemical Ibogaine.

On a side note, Ibogaine and Iboga, the plant that contains it naturally, are illegal in the U.S. for no apparent reason other than for competition control for the pharmaceutical companies. Or even, perhaps, to keep patients addicted to pharmaceuticals.

Virola theiodora is also called Epena, Parica, Nyakwana, and Yakee. It goes by various names depedning on the tribe. Virola is prepared as a snuff in the Western Amazon basin and was used ceremonially by adult males.

Traditionally the Virola bark is stripped from the tree early in the morning and a blood red resin is scraped off from the inner bark. The use was generally restricted to Shamans and medicine men to diagnose and treat illness and was commonly used as an Ayahausca analogue.

Freshly harvested bark from South America is great for use in crafts and is commonly used in woodworking in South America. Virola contains poisonous Tryptamine Alkaloids, Dimethyltryptamine.

Mandrake - Mandragora officinarum, also called Witches Drink, Thieves Root, Mad Apple, Love Apple and Satan’s Apple - has a very long history of use as a sacred herb. The root of Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) is thought to take on almost a human form. Mandrake is sometimes referred to as umbrella plant, because it looks like a closed umbrella when it first appears each spring.

Mandrake has been used in association with magic in European folklore. Mandragora occicinarum (Mandrake) was a common admixture in witches’ brews. It was often carried for protection and luck. Mandrake grows rapidly in groups and produces a fruit, but it is rather unsavory.

Mandrake contains extremely large amounts of tropane alkaloids and should be regarded as poisonous. However, It has been used as an analgesic and anesthetic, sleep aid, aphrodisiac, and to treat many ailments.

Trichocereus peruvianus - Peruvian Torch Cactus - is a close relative of San Pedro Cactus, richocereus pachanoi, but has longer spines and a darker color. It is a columnar cactus found almost exclusively in Peru at altitudes of around 2,000 meters.

Peruvian Torch is especially fast growing and hardy, often growing a foot or two each year and growing over 15-feet tall. Compared to San Pedro cactus it is reported to have much higher alkaloid content.

Monks from a pre-Inca culture known as the Chavin prepared a brew called ‘achuma’, ‘huachuma’ or ‘cimora’ from T. pachanoi and T. peruvianus. This was prepared by boiling slices of cactus in water for long periods of time adding various admixtures such as Brugmansia suaveolens and Coleus blumei.