Sceletium tortuosum / Kanna / Mesembryanthemaceae (Mesem family)

Information

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Other Names

Kanna, Channa, Kougoed, Kaugoed, Sceletium, Channa, Scelly, Canna-root.

Description

Sceletium tortuosum is a perennial succulent herb that is native to the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. The Latin name Sceletium is derived from the word Sceletus which refer to its skeleton-like appearance when dried. (3) Kanna use among certain pastoralists and hunter-gatherer groups for a variety of purposes was first documented by the Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town van Riebeeck, in 1662. (1) The second colonial administrator of Cape Town, Van der Stel, wrote in his journal of these peoples "They chew mostly a certain plant which they call "Canna". They use it as the Indians use betel or Areca, and are of a very cheerful nature."(4)

Contents

The active constituents of the plant are alkaloids, including mesembrine, mesembrenone, mesembrenol and tortuosamine. The alkaloid concentration in the dry material ranges from 0.05 to 2.3%. Mesembrine is usually the major alkaloid present, and has been demonstrated in laboratory studies (sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States, and conducted by the company NovaScreen) to be a very potent serotonin-uptake inhibitor. It has also been shown to be a PDE4 inhibitor.

Historical

Kanna has been historically documented to be used in South Africa by pastoralists and hunter-gatherers nomadic groups such as the Khoi and San peoples. These peoples valued the herb for its mood-enhancing and other properties and prepared and consumed Kanna in a number of ways including chewing, smoking and snuffing the prepared herb.(4) In fact, the African name for this herb is "Kougoed" which literally means "something to chew"(3) Simon van der Stel writes in his Journal: "This plant is found with the Namaquaas and then only on some of their mountains... It is held by them and surrounding tribes in as great esteem as the Betel or Areca with the Indians. They chew its stem as well as the roots, mostly all day, and become intoxicated by it..."(4) Kanna was alsa prized by the Europeans as a Ginseng-like herb and was used for increasing energy and suppressing hunger and thirst.(4)

Health Warnings

There is little information on interactions of S. tortuosum, although it should not be combined with SSRIs, MAOIs, cardiac or psychiatric medications. (1)

Plant Description

The Sceletium tortuosum plant is a climbing or creeping succulent plant native to South Africa. Its braches become thicker and only slightly woody with age. Its flowers blossom around July through September and are around 20-30 mm in diameter. The petals are white to pale yellow or pink and the fruit are 10-15 mm in diameter and open when wet.(3) The surface of its leaves is often glistening and bright green.(2)

References

(1) Sceletium tortuosum, Wikipedia
(2) Document: Sceletium tortuosum herba, planzafrica.com
(3) Sceletium tortuosum, plantzafrica.com
(4) Psychoactive constituents of the genus Sceletium N.E.Br. and other Mesembryanthemaceae: a review, by Smith, M.T., Crouch, N.R., Gericke, N., and Hirst, M.

Articles

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Erowid Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) Vault