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Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi)
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The Ayahuasca brew is considered by the Amazon's tribes as one of the masters "teacher plants". It has been used by shamans of the Peruvian Andes and Amazon jungle for centuries as an essential part of their traditional medicine, their cultural identity, and as a way of expanding consciousness. In Quechua, the term "Aya" means "Spirit" or "Soul", while "Huasca" means "rope" (the soul's rope). Banisteriopsis caapi is a vine, connecting the earth with the heavens. The plant and the usage has first been described by the botanist Richard Spruce who came across it in the Amazon in 1851 and 1853. The working-mechanisms of Ayahuasca, however, have been unclear until the 1980's. |
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Calamus (Acorus calamus)
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Calamus has a long history of use. The Sumerians and ancient Egyptians made use of it, and remains of the plant have been found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Besides internal usage, the roots have been used as incense and as a flavor. In the bible, Exodus 30, Calamus is probably named as a an ingredient of the Holy Oil Moses made. Many of the great classical writers on medicine mention the plant: Hippocrates, Theophrastus, Dioscorides. In Ayurvedic medicine it has been used for several thousand years. Calamus is known to help calm down the mind and support the nervous system. It was also an ingredient of the Flying Brews of European witches in the Middle Ages. |
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Chiricaspi (Brunfelsia chiricaspi)
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In the Colombian, Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon, several species of Brunfelsia are traditionally used as visionary plants. Brunfelsia is added to a hallucinogenic drink called Yage made from the giant forest liana Banisteriopsis caapi (Malpighiaceae). Scopoletin has been isolated from Brunfelsia, but this may not be the only psychoactive compound present. Scopoletin is a phenolic lactone (C10H8O4) that is found in many solanaceous plants, including species of Scopolia and the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). According to Richard Evans Schultes and Albert Hofmann, a sensation of chills follows the ingestion of Brunfelsia, an effect which has given rise to the name "Chiricaspi" or "Cold tree". |
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Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)
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Chocolate is a natural product made from the bean of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried and roasted and then processed to form cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate and chocolate products. When boiled in milk, or milk and water, it is much used as an occasional substitute for coffee, and for a drink at meals. The callets are round drops of chocolate. They are the ideal aid to produce perfectly tempered chocolate quickly and efficiently. They are also the best solution for applications requiring fast melting or the addition of small quantities of chocolate. |
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Hawaiian Baby Woodrose (Argyrea nervosa)
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Hawaiian Baby Woodrose (Argyreia nervosa), not to be confused with the Hawaiian woodrose (Merremia tuberosa), is a perennial climbing vine, also known as Elephant Creeper and Woolly Morning Glory. Native to the Indian subcontinent and introduced to numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa and the Caribbean, it can be invasive, although is often prized for its aesthetic value. The seeds of the plant contain ergot alkaloids, including the hallucinogenic LSA (ergine), which is a chemical analog of LSD. Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds are sometimes used as a legally obtainable psychedelic, though the legality of consuming the seeds is ambiguous in some jurisdictions.(1) |
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Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga)
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Tabernanthe iboga, known commonly as Iboga, is a perennial rainforest shrub native to the regions of western Central Africa. It has a long history of ritual use by several indigenous peoples living in and around the Gabon province of Central Africa including the Babongo, Mitsogo and Fang people where it occupies a central role in their religious practices.(4) Iboga is especially important in the initiation rite into the Bwiti religion where it is said to allow the initiate to journey to the land of the dead, learn about past lives, future problems and see the true self. The plant is considered sacred by members of the Bwiti and some claim that Iboga is the original Tree of Knowledge from the Bible.(3) |
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Jurema (Mimosa hostilis)
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In North-eastern Brazil, this plant is called "Jurema", a common flowering Leguminous tree. Most of them are American, although some occur in Africa and Asia. Jurema is native only to the dry regions of eastern Brazil. Jurema has been used as an entheogenic beverage since time immemorial. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, "Vinho da Jurema" was reported several times. Later, its use was thought to be extinct. It evidently went underground, although truly indigenous tribes using Jurema probably also became extinct as its use has later only been reported among "mixed" populations. In 1964 Mimosa hostilis was identified as the source of Jurema. Especially the inner root-bark has a high tryptamine content. |
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Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum)
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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) |
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Klip Dagga (Leonotis nepetifolia)
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Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)
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Kratom is a tree in the Coffee family that is native to Thailand where it has a long history of use. It was mainly used by workers for its stimulant effects but has also been employed for a variety of other purposes.(1) The genus was first recorded and named by the Dutch Botanist Pieter Willem Korthals who gave it its name because the stamen of the species he first discovered resembled a bishop's miter. Kratom has a rich chemistry and contains more than 25 different alkaloids. Mitragynine, the most abundant one, is structurally related to Yohimbe alkaloids and is more distantly related to tryptamine alkaloids such as psilocybin and Ibogaine. The plant also contains Epicatechin which is a powerful anti-oxidant also found in Cocoa and Green Tea. Botanically Kratom is also related to Cat's Claw. Although Kratom has recently been made illegal in Thailand, Malaysia and several other countries, some people are lobbying their governments to allow medical research into Kratom as a potential prescription substance.
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Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida)
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As a native Marigold of Mexico and Guatemala, T. lucida is well known by the locals as a substitute for Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), and as such is used in teas, vinegars and dishes. The Zapotecs use Tagetes as a primary herb in purification rituals. The plant is popular with the Tarahumara Indians of Chihuahua and is used by the modern Huichol Indians in their religious Peyote rituals. Smoked, the plant is said to enhance closed-eye visions. The botanical genus name Tagetes is in reference to a Roman deity, Tages which, probably, was originally an Etruscan god of prophecy. The species name lucidus means "bright", or "light". In Mexico, it is traditionally used as a tea but also as a flavoring for soups, sauces, chicken dishes, etc. and harsh Turkish tobaccos. A strong Tagetes Lucida tea is said to produce similar but milder effects than those of Peyote and has been used since pre-Hispanic times with many of its properties ascribed to this plant, known as Yauhtli in the Nahuatl language. The leaves were an important flavouring of "Chocolatl", the foaming Cocoa-based drink of the Aztec. |
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Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
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Ipomea Violacea is a member of the Bindweed or Morning Glory family (commonly grown as ornamentals), as is Turbina Corymbosa, the Ololiuhqui (round things) used by Aztecs and other indigenous groups of Central America, mainly Mexico. Traditionally used in divination, the seeds of some varieties contain LSA (ergine). Nowadays, many varieties are known, including Heavenly Blue, Flying Saucers, and Pearly Gates. |