Ipomea purpurea and tricolor
(Convolvulaceae)
Morning glories.

The seeds of morning glory had been known for centuries to induce hallucinations. “As noted by early Spanish writers: ‘when the Aztec priests wanted to commune with their gods and to receive a message from them, they ate this plant to induce delirium during which time a thousand visions and satanic hallucinations appeared to them.’ ” (Lewis, Medical botany).

It was not until 1960, however, that A. Hofmann and H. Tscherter proved that an ergot alkaloid D-lysergic acid amide is responsible for this quality of the morning glory.

KÖHLER, FRANZ EUGEN [PUB.]; PABST, GUSTAV ,[ED.]. KÖHLER’S MEDIZINAL PFLANZEN.
Gera-Untermhaus: Köhler, 1887.
(Missouri Botanical Garden)