In this full-color illustrated book, Robert Dale Rogers explores more than 570 cacti species through the lenses of ethnobotany, folklore, chemistry, pharmacology, and their effective use in natural therapies. He details scientific research on the medicinal effects of cactus compounds and alkaloids, including their antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antidepressant, and analgesic properties. He also looks at the use of cacti in flower essences, herbal preparations, and homeopathic remedies. Rogers explains how Indigenous people, such as the Cree, have used cacti for healing, food, ceremony, and shamanic purposes for millennia, and he shares sacred stories centered on cacti, such as the Cactus Cat story from the American Southwest. He also provides a psychopharmacological examination of the entheogenic alkaloid mescaline, which can be found in San Pedro and peyote cacti. Showcasing their benefits and unusual beauty, this book reveals how cacti have supported humanity from prehistory to the present day.
