TRICHOCEREUS PACHANOI

FAMILY :: CACTACEAE
SAN PEDRO CACTUS: A large, columnar, ribbed, nearly spineless cactus from Peru. Grow in full sun in well-drained soil in areas where temperatures do not fall below the mid 20ºs. Native shamans who use this cactus prefer to use only the skin and the green material immediately below (they discard the outer wax-like cuticle and the white, pithy interior). This remaining green mass (either fresh or dried) is then boiled down for many hours. Usually 1 gallon of water plus one lemon per one foot of cactus (one dose) is boiled down to ½ cup. It grows quickly, approximately .5 to 1 foot a year. The green pulp contains a useable quantity of mescaline.