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Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Mexico: An Overview

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Abstract

Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Mexico: An Overview. Psilocybe, with 53 known hallucinogenic species in Mexico, is the most important and diverse group of sacred mushrooms used by Mexican indigenous cultures. Psilocybe caerulescens, known by the present-day Nahuatl Indians as teotlaquilnanácatl, is hypothesized to be the ceremonially-used teonanácatl mushroom cited by Sahagún in the 16th century, the true identity of which has remained obscure for centuries. Correcting a widely disseminated error derived from early published information on Mexican hallucinogenic mushrooms, emphasis is placed on the fact that Panaeolus species have never been used traditionally in Mexico. Reports of the use of species of Amanita, Clavaria, Conocybe, Cordyceps, Dictyophora, Elaphomyces, Gomphus, Lycoperdon, Psathyrella, and Stropharia as sacred or narcotic mushrooms are discussed. A brief history of the discovery of hallucinogenic mushrooms in Mexico is presented, as well as notes on their taxonomy, distribution, and traditional use in Mexico.

Abstract

Hongos Alucinógenos en México: Historia, Taxonomia, Distribución Geográfica y Uso Tradicional. Psilocybe, con 53 especies alucinógenas conocidas en México, es el grupo más importante y más diverso de hongos sagrados usados por las culturas indígenas mexicanas. Se propone aquí que Psilocybe caerulescens, nombrado por los nahuatls de hoy día teotlaquilnanácatl, es el hongo ceremonial teonanácatl citado por Sahagún en el siglo XVI, cuya identidad verdadera permanece oscura desde hace siglos. A fin de corregir un error muy diseminado derivado de los primeros datos publicados sobre los hongos alucinógenos mexicanos, se hará hincapié en el hecho de que las especies Paneolus nunca han sido usadas tradicionalmente en México. Se discutirán aquí informes sobre el uso de especies de Amanita, Clavaria, Conocybe, Cordyceps, Dictyophora, Elaphomyces, Gomphus, Lycoperdon, Psathyrella y Stropharia como hongos sagrados o narcóticos, y se presentará también una breve historia del descubrimiento de hongos alucinógenos en México, como también algunos datos sobre su taxonomía, su distribución, y su uso tradicional en México.

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Acknowledgments

This author expresses his thanks to his colleagues Etelvina Gándara, Virginia Ramírez-Cruz, and Florencia Ramírez-Guillén (all of them in Instituto de Ecología at Xalapa), Laura Guzmán-Dávalos (Universidad de Guadalajara), Elizur Montiel-Arcos and Victor Mora (Universidad de Morelos), and James Q. Jacobs (Arizona) for their help in the laboratory and with other information. In the past, professors Richard E. Schultes, Rolf Singer, Roger Heim, and R. Gordon Wasson provided much important information and bibliographic material. Teofilo Herrera (University of Mexico) assisted in making initial contacts with Singer and Heim. Manuel Hernández (Instituto de Ecología at Xalapa) helped with computer tasks. David Arora and Glenn H. Shepard, Jr. assisted in the final revision of the manuscript.

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  1. Instituto de Ecología, 91000, Xalapa, Veracruz, P.O. Box 63, Mexico

    Gastón Guzmán

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  1. Gastón Guzmán
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Correspondence to Gastón Guzmán.

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Guzmán, G. Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Mexico: An Overview. Econ Bot 62, 404–412 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-008-9033-8

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