There has been much speculation as to the botanical identity of soma or haoma. Soma is a plant described in Hindu sacred texts including the Rigveda, while haoma is a plant described in the Avesta, a collection of Zoroastrian writings. Both names are derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian *Sauma. Proposed candidates include various species of plants, fungi, and proposed mixtures of these candidates with each other (e.g. Peganum Harmala and Phalaris aquatica) and with other substances (eg. Fermented milk from mare or fermented honey). The leading plant candidates are somalata (Sarcostemma acidum), an Ephedra species, the perennial Peganum harmala, Nelumbo nucifera (also known as the "sacred lotus"), Cannabis sativa, and the sugarcane species Saccharum sara. Fungal candidates include the fly-ag