Cereus caespitosus - Tuft Hedgehog Cereus
C. giganteus - Suwarrow, Harsee
C. variabilis - Patahaya
Echinocactus wislizeni or Herocactus wislizeni - Visnada, Biznacha
Lemaireocereus thurberi - Organpipe Cactus
Lophophora williamsii, L diffusa - Pellote, Peyote, Mescal Button
Opuntia vulgaris, O. humisfusa - Beavertail, Prickly Pear, Indian Fig, Devil's
Tongue, Plains Cactus, Tuna, Nopal
Peniocereus greggii - Night Blooming Cereus, Deerhorn Cactus, Reina de la Roche
Folk Names:
Description: Prickly Pear grows in the dry plains and desert areas of the Western and central United States and some in Canada and the East. The cactus is a flattened, jointed stem with no ribs. It has two kinds of spine, a long central spine with tiny bristles around it. Small fleshy leaves are soon shed and most species form spreading mats. Large, solitary flowers produce many similar yellow petals with yellow or orange stamens from March through July. From August to October, the cactus makes dull red, spiny, pulpy "berries" which form beneath the flower. The fruit tastes something like watermelon.
Peyote grows in the deserts of Mexico and south Texas. It is a perennial. Unlike many cacti, it lacks spines and has only white hair tufts along each of its five to thirteen ribs from areoles. Only about two to three inches of the grayish to chalky-blue plant shows above the sand. It has a massive, carrot-like, branched taproot three inches in diameter. Tiny pink to creamy white flowers on top of the stem resemble daisies. The flowers produce a pink berry and the seeds are black when ripe with a bitter, disagreeable taste.
Effects:
Planet: Mars Zodiac: Aries
Element:
Associated Deities:
Traditions:
The name for Peyote comes from a Spanish word derived from an Indian word for caterpillar. This refers to the plant’s downy covering. Peyote had been used in religious ceremonies for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived. It was used by the Aztecs and Chichimeca Indians, the Kiowa, etc. Use spread from Mexico in the eighteenth century, entering southern Texas through the Apache and Kiowas who remodeled its use into a vision quest ritual typical among Plains Indians. It later spread to the Comanches, Wichitas, Otos, Delawares, and many other tribes. When they Spaniards invaded, they outlawed its use by Aztecs as a tool of the Devil. This did not curtail its use however, and the Native America Church officially established in Oklahoma in 1916 with 12,000 members made use of the plant. In 1970, court rulings finally made the NAC exempt form the USDA's ban on it dating from 1938.
Tarahumara believed Father Sun left it behind to cure humanities ills when he left earth to dwell in the sky. The annual peyote picking pilgrimage is a highly religious ceremony and pickers abstain from many adult activities, such as sex, during its re-enactment. A harvester will cut off the tip, "button," and dry it to a brown disk which can last for long periods of time. This is eaten or ground for tea.
Peyote was used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to replace the deadly Mescal Bean (Sophora secundiflora) which was used in such ceremonies as the Red Bean Dance, Wichita, Deer, or Whistle Dance. The Mescal Bean also called Coralillo, Frijolito (Spanish- Little Bean), Pagoda Tree, Red Bean, Texas Mountain Laurel was used similarly to seek communication with the divine. Some drank a liquid; some roasted and crushed the beans and chewed and swallowed resulting paste. The beans have been found in sites dating to 1500 BC. The bean is still used as a decoration in the peyote ceremonies of the Kiowas, Anadarkos, and other Oklahoma Indians. Symptoms of poisoning with Mescal Bean occur within one hour and include nausea, vomiting, headache, vertigo, excessive salivation and perspiration, and diarrhea. Acute poisoning causes convulsions, delirium, coma, and death from respiratory failure.
Magic:
All cacti are protective due to their spines. They may be grown indoors to protect from unwanted intrusions and burglaries, and they may also be planted outside the home in each direction for protection. Cacti are also said to absorb negative energy.
The spines may be used in a witch's bottle in place of pins, and the stronger spines may also be used to inscribe symbols or words on candles and roots.
Known Combinations:
None noted
Medical Indications: (Caution: Symptoms of peyote use include nausea, thirst, euphoria, ataxia, tremor, headache, pupil dilation, blurred vision, dizziness, circulatory depression, loss of sense of time, severe stomach pain with vomiting and diarrhea. In case of poisoning, induce vomiting and seek medical care.)
The stems of Prickly Pear may be peeled and used as a bandage over wounds. The pulp may also be applied to festering wounds.
Nutrition:
Tuft Hedgehog Cereus produces little purple fruits. After the spines are removed, the fleshy part may be eaten as a vegetable.
The sweet juice of the Suwarrow was used by southwestern Native Americans for a conserve and the fruit is also edible.
The Patahaya and Organpipe cacti both produce an edible fruit.
Biznacha is a tall tree or barrel-like cacti. It is a source of water used by the Apache. It is found in Texas and Arizona. The Prickly Pear is one of the most popular edible cacti. The skin of the leaf is removed and used in green salad or with omelets. Chopped up, it is called nopalitos and mixed with chopped pimentos and tomatoes. Add to this some fresh cilantro and spicy vinegar dressing and chili powder. It can be stir fried, deep fried, or roasted over a fire. The pulp of the fruit is used for jellies, and the seeds ground into flour or used in soup for a thickener. The sap is used for emergency water.
The root Night Blooming Cereus may be baked or boiled. It grows from western Texas west and south to Mexico.
Mercantile Uses:
The fruit of the Prickly Pear may be used as a red dye with mordant.