Yopo
Anadenanthera peregrinaFabaceae // seeds
Also known as: yopo, cohoba, paricá
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
seeds
Known constituents
bufotenine, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT reported variably
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include bufotenine, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT reported variably; broad class: serotonergic tryptamines.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
Often confused with A. colubrina; historical names and archaeological identifications can be uncertain.
MODERATE · Contemporary Uses of Vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil): A Major Ritual Plant in the Andes
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- High risk
Safety severity is HIGH: intense autonomic effects, vomiting, distress and uncertain cardiovascular risk
Intrinsic toxicity · HIGH · Contemporary Uses of Vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil): A Major Ritual Plant in the Andes
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is HIGH: intense autonomic effects, vomiting, distress and uncertain cardiovascular risk
HIGH · Contemporary Uses of Vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil): A Major Ritual Plant in the Andes
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF lists Acacia angustiloba DC. as a taxonomic synonym of Anadenanthera peregrina.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
yopo, cohoba, paricá
Traditions
Orinoco/Amazonian Indigenous traditions and Caribbean historical cohoba
northern South America and Caribbean // pre-Columbian archaeology; colonial accounts; living use in some communities // historical and living tradition
Ethnobotanical
Yopo is documented in Orinoco/Amazonian Indigenous traditions and Caribbean historical cohoba in northern South America and Caribbean for communal ceremonial snuff, divination and spirit contact.
MODERATE · Contemporary Uses of Vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil): A Major Ritual Plant in the Andes
Ritual
Documented functions include divinatory, visionary, spirit-contact, social; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
MODERATE · Contemporary Uses of Vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil): A Major Ritual Plant in the Andes
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Plant not named federally; DMT and 5-MeO-DMT are Schedule I.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
- Contemporary Uses of Vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina var cebil): A Major Ritual Plant in the Andes6 claims
peer-reviewed article
- 21 CFR 1308.11 — Schedule I1 claim
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database