Peruvian Torch
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Trichocereus peruvianus botanical info and general description.

Botanical Name: Trichocereus peruvianus (Cactaceae)

Common Names: Peruvian Torch; San Pedro

Active Constituents: Tyramine, hordenine, 3-methoxytyramine, anhalaninine, anhalonidine, 3,4-dimethoxyphenethylamine, 3,4-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-B-phenethylamine, and ,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-B- phenethylamine.

Botanical description: Trichocereus peruvianus

Body: Bluish-green, frosted stems, erect at first then arching over or even prostrate to 23' (7m.) long. Stems to 8" (20cm.) diameter.
Ribs: 6-8, broadly rounded with a "V"-shaped notch over the areole.
Areoles/Spines: Areoles large, brown-felted to 1" (2.5cm.) apart. Spines brown from the first or honey-colored below, darker above; rigid and stout, not at all swollen at base. Six to 8 radial spines to .4" (1cm.), usually 1 center spine to 1.6" (4cm.).
Flowers/Fruit: Large, white flowers.
Distribution: Around 7000' (2100m.) near Matucana, Peru, on the western slope of the Andes .
Subspecies: Three varieties seem to be available commercially although they don't seem to be "official" subspecies. The comments below are my personal observations/opinions based on young, seed grown plants. v. "Ancash": Similar to a "KK242" but the "V"-notches are much subtler, often not visible at all. Presumably from the Ancash region northwest of Matucana. v. "Blue": Lighter in color ("blue"), areoles seem further apart (i.e., where in a certain distance a "KK242" has 4 areoles, the "Blue" has only 3). v. KK242: Seems to fit the standard T. peruvianus ID.
Other sub species include: Trichoceri; Trichocereus andalgensis; Trichocereus bridgesii; Trichocereus camarguensis; Trichocereus candicans; Trichocereus chilensis; Trichocereus courantii; Trichocereus cuzcoensis; Trichocereus fulvilanus; Trichocereus grandiflorus; Trichocereus knuthianus; Trichocereus lamprochlorus; Trichocereus litoralus; Trichocereus macrogonus; Trichocereus manguinii; Trichocereus pachanoi; Trichocereus pasacana; Trichocereus peruvianus; Trichocereus peruvianus (short spined variant); Trichocereus pupureopilosis; Trichocereus santiaguensis; Trichocereus scopulicola; Trichocereus schickendantzii; Trichocereus skottsbergi; Trichocereus spachinanus; Trichocereus strigosis; Trichocereus taquimbalensis; Trichocereus terscheckii; Trichocereus thelegonoids; Trichocereus thelegonus; Trichocereus tunariensis; Trichocereus validus; Trichocereus werdemannianus.

Trichocereus peruvianus Historical and Shamanic Use:

Known as "the Cactus of the Four Winds, the sacred teacher-healer plant
of the Coast and Andean Sierra of Perú, Ecuador and Bolivia, San Pedro cactus is the name given to psychoactive species of the genus Trichocereus ( T. pachanoi , T. peruvianus ) which comprises about thirty species, mainly found in the Andes. The ceremonial, sacramental use of Huachuma for healing, magical and divining purposes has been a continuous tradition in Perú for well over 3,000 years and continues today.

San Pedro, considered the ‘maestro of the maestros', enables a shaman to make a bridge between the visible and the invisible world for his people. The Quechua name for it is punku, which means doorway. The doorway connects the patient's body to his spirit; to heal the body means to heal the spirit. The use of San Pedro is believed to show the psychic causes of illness intuitively or in mythical dream language. The San Pedro and Peruvian Torch cactus represents one of the most ancient of the magical plants of South America. 

The entheogenic status of the cactus remains as strong today as it always was. Not only do its uses in shamanic trances and healing sessions continue but it is also used to combat more recent problems such as alcoholism.

Other Trichocereus species of interest related to shamanic use: bridgesii; cuzcoensis; fulvinanus; pachanoi (San Pedro); macrogonus; taquimbalensis; terscheckii (Cordon Grande); validus; werdermannianus.

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