Journal of EthnopharmacologySeptember 24, 2026Yurani Carolina Saavedra-Saenz, Marcelo Simas E Silva, Omar Enrique Estrada Semprun et al.
Ayahuasca is an entheogenic beverage traditionally used by Indigenous peoples and local communities throughout Amazonia. Its preparation typically involves the vine Banisteriopsis caapi and the leaves of Psychotria viridis, widely recognized as its principal ingredients. Other plant species and ethnotaxa have also been historically reported in association with ayahuasca preparation, but their...
reflects morphological overlap. Confusion matrix and similarity network analyses showed only partial agreement with previous ethnobotanical classifications. Focusing on subtle variation within a single species, this study demonstrates that integrating traditional knowledge with machine learning enables automated validation of folk taxonomies.
PlantsApril 7, 2025Thais A C Santos, Bruno S Amorim, Jefferson R Maciel et al.1 citation
Banisteriopsis is a genus in the Malpighiaceae family with 61 species, notable for including ritualistic taxa such as B. caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) C.V. Morton, one of the main components of Ayahuasca tea. We analyzed 38 Banisteriopsis species, representing more than 60% of the genus, to investigate its geographical origin, diversification period, and colonization routes in the Neotropics....