Psychoactive plant


Psychoactive plants are plants, or preparations thereof, that upon ingestion induce psychotropic effects. As stated in a reference work:
Psychoactivity may include sedative, stimulant, euphoric, deliriant, and hallucinogenic effects.
Several hundred psychoactive plants are known.
Some important examples of psychoactive plants include Coffea arabica, Camellia sinensis, Nicotiana tabacum, and Cannabis.
Psychoactive plants have been used ritually, medicinally, and therapeutically for thousands of years. Hence, the sociocultural and economic significance of psychoactive plants is enormous.

Examples of psychoactive plants

In the table below, a few examples of significant psychoactive plants and their effects are shown.
For further examples, see List of psychoactive plants.

Botanical taxonomy

In the plant kingdom, almost all psychoactive plants are found within the flowering plants.
There are many examples of psychoactive fungi, but fungi are not part of the plant kingdom.
Some important plant families containing psychoactive species are listed below. The listed species are examples only, and a family may contain more psychoactive species than listed.

Phytochemistry

The active constituents of the majority of psychoactive plants fall within the alkaloids, a class of nitrogen-containing natural products. Examples of psychoactive compounds of plant origin that do not contain nitrogen are tetrahydrocannabinol and salvinorin A.