Psychotria carthagenensis (Chacruna Variant)

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This article is part of the Yaogará Ark, a living archive of Amazonian teacher plants.

Abstract

Psychotria carthagenensis, commonly referred to as “Chacruna Rosada” or “Pink Chacruna,” is an Amazonian shrub within the Rubiaceae family, occasionally used as an alternative DMT source in ayahuasca preparations when Psychotria viridis is unavailable. While generally considered milder in psychoactivity, P. carthagenensis remains culturally and ritually significant among Indigenous and mestizo groups for its visionary capabilities, contributing to local pharmacopoeias and the continuity of healing lineages [1][6]. This article synthesizes ethnobotanical, pharmacological, and anthropological data to document the plant’s role, preparation techniques, lineage transmission, and the conservation issues critical to its sustainable and respectful use.

Botanical Classification

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Angiosperms
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Order: Gentianales
  • Family: Rubiaceae
  • Genus: Psychotria
  • Species: Psychotria carthagenensis

Psychotria carthagenensis is an evergreen shrub to small tree characterized by smooth, glossy foliage and leaves that may present a lighter green coloration, sometimes showing a pinkish tinge—traits that inform its vernacular name “Chacruna Rosada” [1][6]. Plants range from approximately 0.3 m to 12 m in height, with elliptical to lanceolate leaves typically 10–20 cm long [1][6]. The species shares close morphological affinity with Psychotria viridis and the related P. alba, making misidentification a recurrent concern in medicinal and ritual contexts [2]. Accurate determination at the species level—through expert field identification, voucher specimens, and, where appropriate, genetic barcoding—has implications for both research reproducibility and legal clarity in jurisdictions that regulate ayahuasca plants [2][4][6].

Geographical Distribution and Habitat

Psychotria carthagenensis occurs across tropical South America and is particularly noted from the western and central Amazon basin, where it occupies riparian zones, riverine edges, and secondary forest habitats [6]. Such environments often provide partial shade, moist soils, and layered canopy structure, which support the species’ growth requirements. In disturbed or secondary forests, the plant may benefit from increased light availability while still maintaining the humidity and soil conditions favorable to Psychotria congeners [4][6].

Within its range, local ecotypes display variation in leaf color, size, venation, and growth habit, contributing to ongoing confusion with other Psychotria taxa that co-occur in ethnomedical landscapes [2][6]. The presence of pink-tinged petioles or young leaves—highlighted in community nomenclature as “rosada”—is not diagnostic on its own, as such pigment expressions can be influenced by age, environmental stress, and genetics. For applied ethnobotany and conservation, localized floristic surveys complemented by community knowledge strengthen the reliability of identifications, particularly where harvest pressure for ayahuasca ceremonies is increasing [4][6].

Ethnobotanical Context

Psychotria carthagenensis is used as an alternate chacruna leaf by practitioners in several Indigenous and mestizo traditions, including Shipibo, Asháninka, and urban vegetalista lineages, particularly when supplies of Psychotria viridis are limited or when milder visionary effects are desired [2][6]. Healers describe the plant as “gentle” yet capable of supporting visions and diagnostic insight, making it suitable for novices, youth, or ritual contexts emphasizing learning, cleansing, and calm introspection over intense catharsis [1][6]. In some oral traditions, the distinctive pink hues in stems or new leaves communicate a symbolic association with feminine lineages and pedagogy, reinforcing the plant’s role in ceremonies oriented toward instruction and care [1][6].

The diffusion of P. carthagenensis beyond forest communities into peri-urban and urban ceremonial networks has been mediated by traveling healers, retreat centers, and neo-shamanic practitioners in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. This expansion, while facilitating cultural exchange and broader access to visionary practices, has also introduced challenges concerning plant identification, adulteration, and misleading substitution when Psychotria viridis is promised but unavailable [2][6]. Ethnographic reports emphasize that plant knowledge—covering identification, harvest timing, preparation, and indications—is transmitted through apprenticeships and ritual participation, with elders underscoring the primacy of experiential learning in forest contexts [6]. As outside interest grows, hybrid transmission pathways have emerged (e.g., workshops, online forums, botanical collaborations), yet community-sanctioned learning and consent remain essential to prevent misuse and the erosion of local authority in plant medicine [6].

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Analytical and field reports indicate that P. carthagenensis contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) as its principal indole alkaloid, typically at lower concentrations than those reported for Psychotria viridis [7]. The psychoactivity of DMT in ayahuasca brews depends on monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibition by β-carboline alkaloids present in the companion vine Banisteriopsis caapi; without MAO inhibition, oral DMT is rapidly deactivated and not psychoactive [3][7]. Given variable DMT levels in P. carthagenensis—affected by genetics, leaf age, seasonality, microhabitat, and preparation technique—practitioners often adjust leaf quantity or select particularly robust specimens to achieve desired ceremonial effects [5][7].

Pharmacodynamically, DMT acts as a potent serotonergic psychedelic with agonist activity at 5-HT2A receptors, among other sites, while the β-carbolines (e.g., harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) from Banisteriopsis caapi provide reversible MAO-A inhibition and may contribute intrinsic psychoactive and neurophysiological properties [3][7]. In lineages that prefer P. carthagenensis for gentler work, the brew’s subjective profile is often described as clear yet moderate, emphasizing coherent visual content, introspection, and reduced somatic intensity relative to viridis-based brews—though actual experiences vary widely across individuals and batches [1][6]. Symbolically, the plant’s lighter coloration and reputation for milder effect profile have been interpreted as consonant with teachings that are compassionate, gradual, and particularly accessible to newcomers [1][6].

Reports of additional alkaloids or trace compounds are inconsistent in community and horticultural sources, reflecting both genuine chemotypic diversity and the taxonomic ambiguity that can arise in the field [5][6]. As with other ayahuasca admixtures, robust phytochemical characterization requires authenticated voucher material and standardized analytical methods to distinguish species-level differences from cultivation or environmental influences [3][4][8].

Traditional Preparation and Use

In ceremonial contexts, P. carthagenensis leaves are commonly combined with the vine of Banisteriopsis caapi to prepare ayahuasca through prolonged decoction. Healers frequently favor fresh leaves, sometimes selecting younger, pinkish-tinged material believed to align with the plant’s gentle qualities, though criteria differ by lineage [1]. Ritual preparation typically follows established cultural protocols: offerings or prayers to the plants and forest spirits; adherence to dietary and behavioral restrictions; selection of water sources (e.g., riverine or rainwater); and participation by trained specialists responsible for dosing and safety [6]. The brew is usually prepared in small to moderate batches intended for intimate groups, especially when the intention centers on divination, education, cleansing, and stabilizing emotional or spiritual states [1][6].

Because P. carthagenensis is generally regarded as lower in DMT content than Psychotria viridis, practitioners may increase the relative mass of leaves to achieve the desired outcome, though specific quantities remain lineage-specific and subject to practitioner discretion [6][5]. Such adjustments occur within a broader framework of synergy management: balancing the strength of the caapi vine (its β-carbolines), selecting leaf maturity, and deciding on boil duration and number of reductions to bring forth a brew that matches ceremonial intentions [3][6]. The expectation within communities that favor P. carthagenensis is that visions, if present, will be milder and more navigable, enabling participants to focus on learning songs (icaros), receiving guidance, or engaging in diagnostic work without overwhelming somatic effects [1][6].

Equally significant is the pedagogy surrounding plant transmission. Knowledge of how to identify P. carthagenensis, choose appropriate harvest times, and recognize the conditions that make for effective medicine is communicated through apprenticeship (vegetalismo), kin-based lineages, and direct ceremonial participation. Traditional authorities often stress that contextual learning—conducted within the forest itself, under community guidance—forms the ethical basis for responsible use and guards against misidentification or harmful substitutions [6]. As P. carthagenensis enters broader markets and retreat economies, many elders advocate for benefit-sharing and recognition of local stewardship in any formal research, horticultural propagation, or commercialization [6][2][4].

Conservation and Ethical Considerations

Rising global interest in ayahuasca has increased attention on all associated plant species, including P. carthagenensis. While it remains less commercially targeted than Psychotria viridis, pressures from overharvesting, habitat fragmentation, and substitution practices may affect population dynamics and genetic integrity over time [6][4]. Habitat disturbance in riparian and secondary forests—through logging, agriculture, or infrastructure—can alter microclimates and propagation patterns for Psychotria taxa. Concurrently, horticultural circulation of hybrids and mislabeling in plant markets risk compounding taxonomic confusion, leading to inadvertent replacement of local chemotypes with horticultural stock of uncertain provenance [5][6].

Sustainability strategies prioritized by communities and allied researchers include:

  • Community-led cultivation projects to reduce wild-harvest pressure and to maintain locally adapted lines [6].
  • Clear protocols for identification, including the use of voucher specimens and training in distinguishing P. carthagenensis from Psychotria viridis and related taxa [2][6].
  • Ethical sourcing frameworks that incorporate prior informed consent, benefit-sharing arrangements, and alignment with Indigenous governance priorities [6][2].
  • Support for in situ conservation of riparian corridors and secondary forests that serve as seed sources and refugia [4][6].

Ethically, the integrity of ceremonial practice is inseparable from biocultural rights. Falsification, improper identification, and commercialization without local involvement threaten both the plant’s role in medicine and the social systems that sustain its knowledge. In response, some lineages and organizations have articulated guidelines for researcher engagement, calling for co-authorship, transparent data sharing, and capacity building that enable communities to set research agendas and retain agency over knowledge transmission [6]. Legal clarity is also crucial: policies that differentiate between species and recognize traditional use can help reduce perverse incentives (e.g., clandestine harvest, illicit trade) and foster collaborative conservation initiatives grounded in local priorities [2][4].

References

  1. “Chacruna Leaves: Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Psychotria Viridis,” Natural Ether (2021), https://www.naturalether.com/article/chacruna-leaves/
  2. “Chacruna - Healing Herbs,” Herbs2000.com, https://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_chacruna.htm
  3. McKenna, D.J., et al. “Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tryptamine alkaloids in ayahuasca,” J. Ethnopharmacology, 1984. [PDF] https://chacruna.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/McKenna_et_al_Monoamine_Inhibitors_Tryptamine_Ayahuasca_Journal_Ethnopharmacology_1984.pdf
  4. Psychotria carthagenensis profile, Useful Tropical Plants (2022), https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Psychotria+carthagenensis
  5. Reflections on the Psychotria hybrids, Herbalistics, https://herbalistics.com.au/reflections-psychotria-hybrids/
  6. Electric Veg: Psychotria viridis and relatives, https://www.electricveg.com/rubiaceae/psychotria-viridis.html
  7. Psychotria viridis - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotria_viridis
  8. Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 747–755, 2015 Jul-Aug. DOI:10.5539/jas.v9n1p204 (https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v9n1p204)

License

CC BY-SA 4.0 – Yaogará Ark — a living ethnobotanical research archive