Anhalonium

/ænˌhæloʊˈniːəm/ noun

Definition

A genus of small cacti from Mexico, formerly used as the scientific name for peyote, known for psychoactive properties.

Etymology

From Nahuatl 'analli' (peyote) + Latin '-ium' (genus suffix). Named by botanists in the 18th century, though the plant was called 'peyote' by indigenous peoples for millennia.

Kelly Says

Anhalonium is basically an old scientific name that botanists have mostly replaced with 'Lophophora'—but it shows how European scientists tried to rename plants already used by indigenous cultures for thousands of years!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.