> > > Does anyone know where to purchase, trade or otherwise secure
> > > some live cuttings of T. pervianus??  Seeds are also welcome, but
> > > cuttings are preferred.  Many thanks!
> > > peace,
> > > august
> > 
> > I'd recommend Legendary Ethnobotanical Resources for live cuttings
> > and seeds, though the specimens I've seen from them have been a
> > little scraggly and pocked.
> > 
> > A better choice (if you have the time & money) would be Bolivia. I
> > had the good fortune of seeing literally *tons* of T. peruvianus
> > last week, up close & personal. There are a number of valleys
> > 10-20km south of La Paz absolutely *filled* with T. peruvianus,
> > every 25 feet or so -- huge, candelabra-branched specimens, some
> > 15 feet tall and 10 feet around. For the price of a round-trip
> > ticket, you could harvest enough T. peruvianus there to keep you
> > and your closest friends happy for a lifetime.
> > 
> > Unfortunately, I didn't see even *one* T. pachanoi -- although
> > La Valle de la Luna is advertised as a hotbed of "San Pedro."
> > Lots of T. peruvianus, though. As an aside, past experience indicates
> > T. peruvianus is sub-par compared to T. pachanoi, though once you
> > get past the sharp spines, the flesh is not nearly as bitter as T.
> > pachanoi and somewhat less emetic (probably on account of its
> > generally lower alkaloid content).
> > 
> > --Meta
> Popular wisdom and various sources indicate yhe reverse to be true:
> that peruvianus has 3x the alkaloid content. What do you base your decisions
> on? Also, please describe the visual appearence of T. peruvianus. Various
> reports have described it as columner, standing. I have a book with a photo
> of reputed peruvianus which shows it as column, but horizontal. Spreading
> across ground under its own weight.