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| All About Salvia divinorum is a hypertext document by Bill White covering Salvia divinorum, a member of the mint family with hallucinogenic properties. Salvia divinorum is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), which includes around 700 New World species. S. divinorum has been used by curanderos (healers) of the Mazatec Indians in Oaxaca, Mexico, as a ritual hallucinogen. It has white flowers with purplish calyces and spikes (occurring for about a week). It closely resembles many other mints. It is extremely bitter. Its active principle is the diterpene salvinorin A. Traditionally, S. divinorum leaves are chewed, smoked, or taken as an infusion; the result is a hallucinogen classified (by the curanderos) as somewhat weaker than morning glory seeds and psychedelic mushrooms. Salvinorin A, on the other hand, is extremely potent (200 to 500 micrograms) when vaporized and inhaled. S. divinorum was first introduced into the United States in the early 1960's by Hofmann and Wasson, who were researching Mexican hallucinogens at the time (morning glories and mushrooms). It was identified as a new species. Considerable effort was made to extract the active principle; however, it proved difficult. In the 1980's the active principle, salvanorin A, was identified. It is unique among plant-derived hallucinogens due to its very high potency and its nature (most psychoactive principles of plants are alkaloids). Experimentation with S. divinorum is often not successful for a variety of reasons. Because of this, its status as a hallucinogen is occasionally questioned. However, since the extraction of the active principle, and experiments with the same, its potency has been firmly established.
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| EthnobotDB--worldwide plant uses is a searchable ethnobotany database at the National Agricultural Library. |
| The National Plants Database at the US Dept. of Agriculture includes information about wetlands, threatened/endangered and economically important plants. |
| The chemical structure of salvinorin-a, the active hallucinogenic substance naturally present in Salvia divinorum. |
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