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In a coffee table classic entitled "Plants of
the Gods:Origins of Hallucinogenic Use, Richard Schultes and Albert
Hofmann, on page 51 report the following:
"Oncidium cebolleta is an epiphytic orchid that
grows on steep, stone cliffs and trees in the Tarahumara Indian country of
Mexico. It is suspected to be an hallucinogen, employed as a temporary
surrogate of peyote or Hikun (Lophophora williamsii). Little is known,
however, of its use."
Unfortunately, due to the way this book is written,
it is not possible to follow this statement to the source. I have
always assumed that Schultes was referencing R. A. Bye (1975) "Plantas
psicotropicas de los Tarahumaras" Cuadernos Cientificos CEMEF 4:49-72. But it is
of note that Schultes does reference a later paper, R. A. Bye, Jr.
(1979) "Hallucinogenic plants of the Tarahumara" J. Ethnopharmacol., 1, 23-48 on
page 186 under the heading of "Further Reading".
Stermitz's paper on the alkaloids has already been
referenced.
It is perhaps of passing note that both Oncidium
carthagenense and O.pusillum (sic) are both used ethnomedicinally in Mexico and
South America (see J.B. Alcorn (1984). "Huastec Mayan Ethnobotany.
University of Texas, Austin, Tx. and R.E. Schultes and R. F. Raffauf
(1990). "The Healing Forest: Medicinal and Toxic Plants of the Northwest
Amazonia". Ethno & Economic Botany Series, Vol. 2.
gma
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