Tangled Vines: Unravelling the Twisted Taxonomy of Banisteriopsis rusbyana

Ayahuasca brews are often prepared with leaves from either Psychotria viridis or Diplopterys cabrerana, the latter long entangled in taxonomic confusion. This workshop traces the story of Diplopterys cabrerana—once believed to be synonymous with B. rusbyana, and later clarified through botanical sleuthing.

Neil Logan presents new evidence showing that many plants previously labeled D. cabrerana in Peru and Ecuador are, in fact, a unique cultivar of Diplopterys longialata var. huambisa—a lineage named in recognition of the Huambisa people. This talk clarifies the botanical identities of culturally significant admixture plants and offers an updated view of their distribution and use in contemporary ayahuasca practice.