This article aims to compensate for a shortage of literature by collecting anthropological and botanic information on the main sacred plants used by the indigenous shamanic traditions of South America. We have selected the following nine vegetal genera and some of their respective species: Anadenanthera (cebil), Banisteriopsis (ayahuasca), Brugmansia (floripondio or angel’s trumpet), Datura (chamico or Jimson weed), Drymis (canelo), Erythroxylum (coca), Nicotiana (tobacco), Trichocereus (San Pedro and Wachuma) and Virola (epena). The information is presented alphabetically, both in the following text and the final chart. We have also included a map that shows the approximate distribution of the species according to geographical and cultural criteria. We have used a large number of bibliographic sources, which are cited in the bibliography section, as well as our own unpublished data, collected in the framework of the research project Ethno-medicine and Shamanism in South America.