ariocarpus fissuratus

[jacky]

after a long time of researching the available ethnobotanical data on this cacti (false peyote) used by the Tarahumarah indians I am ready to start bioassay. the plant is limited in the wild, so I will not be consuming whole plants after judging its effects. even if the effects are enjoyable. the data on the cacti suggest that the above ground part is used as a stimulant inebriant. and that the root is used as a narcotic-type pain reliever. One possibility of consumption with this very slow growing plant, is to obtain twenty or so specimens, and then remove small samples of each plant. this would allow one to not destroy a single plant, but still obtain roughly a large specimens amount of material. another possibility is grafting the tops to a trichocereus or geometrizans species. I am sacrificing one whole plant for the initial bioassay. I am also purchasing twenty specimens to add to my collection for the intention of grafting and limited harvesting of plant parts.

[jacky]

I will consume the root first, as that is what I am most interested in. I will carefully ingest a portion of the top, breaking off the outside tubercule ring, and if an effect is felt depending on the experience consume more. there are a few providers of the plant that grow the plant from seed. still other supply is harvested before ranchers poison their own land with cacti specific herbicides ( at least this is the explanation my supplier gives). I hope to start producing seed from the multitude of plants I plan to obtain. the one specimen that I have had for several years has flowered every year. I have been in contact with another individual who harvests limited seed, and returns a half of the two year old seedlings back into native habitat. as there is not one published account of bioassay of the whole plant that I know of I am hoping to confirm the ethnobotanical reports. whether or not I experience any effect wont be the final word on this plant, but it has been a personal question that has caught my interest for some time.

[SuperJunky]

I know this is a realy old post but how did this go? I've heard of people using the flesh of this plant but never the roots. Very interesting. Please update us all.

[jacky]

nothing but a slight stimulant push. I ate the whole plant, the top first and the root later. it was barely bitter, though nicely salty.

I have more of these beautys but will never eat another specimen. unless someone has a greenhouse full of them and finds these to be active...........

I think that ariocarpus retuses, or however the correct spelling is, may actually be the cacti that is active, but then all this is heresay anyway, many plants are consumed with subtle effects that indigenous peoples might better appreciate than our consumer driven, synthetic based society is able to................

this cacti is a slow grower, I have a specimen that I have had for three years, and is most likely over twenty years of age, I have noticed barely a change in its structure, save for the flower or flowers that show up late fall.

the specimen that I ate was over ten years of age, and taken from private land that was being cleared for cattle. it was basically a wild specimen that would have been destroyed. I was intending to write a report for the entheogen review about my experience so more people might think twice about hacking up their specimens, but that zine doesnt seem too active lately.