''Browningia candelaris'' is a species of

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

from northern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It has a distinctive growth habit, with a straight spiny trunk topped by more-or-less spineless thinner branches. In some places, the long-term survival of local populations may be threatened by grazing, which destroys seedlings., pp. 134–135

Description

''Browningia candelaris'' has a tree-like habit of growth, reaching a height of up to . When mature, it has a distinct unbranched trunk with a diameter of up to , which is densely covered with straight brown spines, long. Above the trunk the plant has a crown of branching thinner stems, which may be entirely spineless or bear spines reduced to a few bristles. All the stems have about 50 ribs. The white flowers are tubular, long and are followed by fleshy fruits, yellow when ripe and up to long. The fruits are edible.

Systematics

The species was first described as ''Cereus candelaris'' in 1833 by the German botanist

Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen (28 June 1804 – 2 September 1840) was a Prussian physician and botanist. Meyen was born in Tilsit, East Prussia. In 1830 he wrote ''Phytotomie'', the first major study of plant anatomy. Between 1830 and 1832, he too ...

. In 1920, Britton and

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

placed it in the genus ''

Browningia ''Browningia'' is a genus of cacti, comprising 11 accepted and 3 unresolved species. It is named for Webster E Browning (1869-1942), director of the Instituto Inglés, Santiago, Chile. Synonymy Synonyms of this genus are: *''Azureocereus'' Ak ...

'', named for Webster E Browning (1869-1942), director of the Instituto Inglés,

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

, Chile. Studies published from 2002 onwards using the methods of

molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

suggest that the genus ''Browningia'' is polyphyletic (i.e. the genus is not a natural group descended from their most recent common ancestor). ''B. candelaris'' and '' B. hertlingiana'' are related to some species of ''

Rebutia ''Rebutia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family cactus, Cactaceae, native to Bolivia and Argentina. They are generally small, colorful cacti, globular in form, which freely produce flowers that are relatively large in relation to the bod ...

'', whereas other species of ''Browningia'' are related to genera such as ''

Pachycereus ''Pachycereus'' is a genus of 9–12 species of large cacti native to Mexico and just into southern Arizona, United States. They form large shrubs or small trees up to 15 m tall, with stout stems up to 1 m in diameter. ''Pachycereus'' comes fr ...

''.

Chemistry

''B. candelaris'' has been found to contain psychotropic

phenylethylamine Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace amin ...

s N-acetyl-3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, N,N-dimethyl-3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, N,N-dimethyl-4-methoxyphenylethylamine and the

substituted amphetamine Substituted amphetamines are a class of compounds based upon the amphetamine structure; it includes all derivative compounds which are formed by replacing, or substituting, one or more hydrogen atoms in the amphetamine core structure with sub ...

4-methoxyamphetamine ''para''-Methoxyamphetamine (PMA), also known as 4-methoxyamphetamine (4-MA), is a designer drug of the amphetamine class with serotonergic effects. Unlike other similar drugs of this family, PMA does not produce stimulant, euphoriant, or ent ...

.ECHEVERRÍA, Javier; NIEMEYER, Hermann M. "Phenylethylamines from Browningia candelaris (Cactaceae)" ''Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas'', vol. 11, núm. 4, julio- agosto, 2012, pp. 341-344 Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/856/85623048005.pdf The synthetic form of the last-named of these compounds has, since the 1970s, been manufactured as a designer

drug of abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

and touted as

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly seen in Tablet (pharmacy), tablet form (ecstasy) and crystal form (molly or mandy), is a potent empathogen–entactogen with stimulant properties primarily used for Recreational dru ...

- resulting in numerous hospitalisations and a number of fatalities.

Possible employment as hallucinogen

Based upon the discovery of the psychotropic effects of and subsequent use of such well-known hallucinogenic species as ''

Lophophora williamsii The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. ''Peyote'' is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar cocoon", from a root , "to gl ...

'' and '' Echinopsis pachanoi'' by various groups of native Americans, Echeverría & Niemeyer advance the very tentative hypothesis that ''B. candelaris'' might similarly have been investigated and employed by the original inhabitants of northern Chile:

The occasional use of B. candelaris as source of hallucinogens may be suggested, given its presence along the route connecting the settlements in the
Azapa Valley Azapa Valley is a fertile and narrow oasis in Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile. It is framed between two sere hills and divided by the San Jose River that runs during the summer season. It is located from the city of Arica. This jewel of the nort ...
of Northern Chile with the
Titicaca Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area, i ...
basin in the Bolivian
altiplano The Altiplano (Spanish for "high plain"), Collao (Quechua and Aymara: Qullaw, meaning "place of the Qulla") or Andean Plateau, in west-central South America, is the most extensive high plateau on Earth outside Tibet. The plateau is located at the ...
, the site of the Tiwanaku state.

- citing in support of this conjecture a paper by Berenguer on the iconography employed in the art of Tiwanaku.Berenguer J. 1998. "La iconografía del poder en Tiwanaku y su rol en la integración de zonas de frontera". ''Bol Museo Chil Arte Precolomb'' 7: 19 - 37. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265207173_La_iconografia_del_poder_en_Tiwanaku_y_su_rol_en_la_integracion_de_zonas_de_frontera Retrieved at 12.27pm on 6/9/21

Gallery

File:Cactus Candelabro de cardones.jpg, Mature specimen, silhouetted by starlight and showing to advantage longer spines on trunk File:Browningia candelaris, the Candelabro Cactus. (9080681196).jpg, Detail of branches borne by long-spined trunk File:Browningia candelaris 2.jpg, Detail of young stem: a "candle" from a ''B. candelaris'' "candelabrum".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q149889 Cactoideae Cacti of South America Flora of northern Chile Flora of Peru Atacama Desert Plants described in 1833