Sophora secundiflora

Due to similarities in their names, the mescal bean is often confused with mescaline (Schultes and Hofman 1980, 1992). These derive from entirely different plants whereas mescaline derives from peyote cactus, the mescal bean grows on the shrub Sophora secundiflora. The mescal bean itself has psychoactive effects, and was used since prehistoric times by Indians in the Rio Grande basin. Samples have been found dating back... 

Shirataki, Y., Isoflavanones in roots of Sophora secundiflora. Phytochemistry, 44, 715, 1997. 

Merrill, WL. 1977. An Investigation of Ethnographic and Archaeological Specimens of Mescalbeans (Sophora secundiflora) in American Museums. (Technical Reports No. 6) Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, mi. 

Mescal bean Sophora secundiflora 1 Cytisine similar to nicotine (see p 277)... 

The seeds of Sophora secundiflora, the mescal bean or colorin, have long been considered hallucinogenic by Indians of Mexico and the southwestern United States (Schultes and Hofmann, 1973). The main alkaloid in these seeds is cytisine (27). Genista canariensis also has been considered to be mildly hallucinogenic (Kinghom and Balandrin, 1984). 

Chavez PI, Sullivan G 1984 A qualitative and quantitative comparison of the quinolizidine alkaloids of the fasciated and normal stems of Sophora secundiflora, J Nat Prod 47 735... 

Mescal bean (Frijolito), Sophora secundiflora Mistletoes, Phoradendron serotinum Monkshood (Wolfsbane), Aconitum columbianum Mushroom (toadstools). Amanita muscaria, Amantia verna, Chlorophyllum molybdites. 

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