Evolution and origins of the Mazatec hallucinogenic sage, Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae): a molecular phylogenetic approach.
Journal of plant research September 1, 2011 Aaron A Jenks, Jay B Walker, Seung-Chul Kim 35 citations
Salvia divinorum, a potent hallucinogenic plant used by the Mazatecs of Oaxaca, Mexico, is not a hybrid and should not be classified within the section Dusenostachys. DNA sequencing of multiple regions from 52 species and six accessions of S. divinorum shows its closest known relative is Salvia venulosa, a rare Colombian endemic. The plant's unique pharmacology as a highly selective κ-opioid receptor agonist underscores its ethnobotanical significance.