Diplopterys cabrerana is a shrub native to the Amazon Basin, spanning the countries of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In the Quechua languages it is called chaliponga or chagropanga; in parts of Ecuador it is known as chacruna—a name otherwise reserved for Psychotria viridis.[1]
D. cabrerana and P. viridis are both common admixtures for ayahuasca. Both species are rich sources of DMT, a tryptamine thought to be endogenous in humans and many other species. D. cabrerana additionally produces 5-MeO-DMT, a less common structural analog.
The plant stores the alkaloids N,N-DMT, 5-MeO-N,N-DMT, and N-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline in its leaves and stems. Leaf samples were found to be 0.17-1.75% N,N-DMT, but only trace amounts of N-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline occur in the leaves. The leaves also store methyltryptamine and trace amounts of bufotenin.[2]
Cuttings of D. cabrerana are transplantable. The cuttings are either planted in soil directly, or rooted first in water.[3]