Voacanga africana / Voacanga / Apocynaceae (Dogbane family)

Information

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Contents

Voacanga africana contains a complex mixture of iboga alkaloids such as voacangine, vocamine, vobtusine, amataine, akuammidine, tabersonine, coronaridine and vobtusine. (1)

Historical

Voacanga africana is reportedly one of the guarded secrets of the African Magic Healers. The plant is held in high esteem for ritual and visionary purposes. The root bark is used as a stimulant during hunts, which can reportedly last for several days. Voacanga africana is also used as a poison, and has a reputation as an aphrodisiac. (2)
"Ibogaine is a natural alkaloid of Voacanga africana that is effective in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms and craving in drug addicts." (3)

Plant Description

Voacanga Africana is native to West Africa. The genus of voacanga is closely related to that of Tabernanthe. Voacanga Africana is an evergreen shrub or tree to 10 m. Branches lenticellate. Leaves opposite, elliptic or narrowly elliptic; texture herbaceous when fresh, membranous or papery when dry; base cuneate; apex acuminate, sometimes acute or obtuse. Calyx not clasping the corolla and not shed with it; lobes mostly partly recurved, 0.8-1.3 times as long as the tube. Corolla cream, greenish or yellow; lobes obovate, narrowly obovate or elliptic. Fruit composed of two separate mericarps, one only often developing; obliquely subspherical. Seeds with an orange aril.

References

(1) Voacanga africana, Wikipedia
(2) Voacanga africana, The Vaults of Erowid
(3) Ibogaine and a total alkaloidal extract of Voacanga africana modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in the rat parabrachial nucleus in vitro. Kombian SB, Saleh TM, Fiagbe NI, Chen X, Akabutu JJ, Buolamwini JK, Pittman QJ. NRG, University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, Canada.