Mucuna pruriens / Mucuna / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Dolichos pruriens, Dolichos pruriens, Stizolobium pruriens, Mucuna prurita, Setae Siliquae Hirsutae, Nescafé, Mucuna, Pó de Mico, Fava-Coceira, Cabeca-de-Frade, Cowage, Cowitch, Cowhage, Cow-itch, Kiwach, Velvet Bean, Bengal Bean, Mauritius Bean, Itchy Bean, True Sea-Bean, Mule Bean, Ox-eye Bean, Banana Field Bean, Hamburger Bean, Buffalo Bean, Velvetbean, Krame, Picapica, Chiporro, Coffee, Fagiolo Di Rio Negro, Fogarate, Jeukerwt, Juckbohne, Kratzbohnen, Kuhkratze, Nd, Pien Tou, Pois A Gatter, Cadjuet, Liane à gratter, Pois pouilleux, Ceil de bourrique, Pois velus, Pois Gratte, Swagupta, T'Ao Hung King, Kekara Gatel, Rarawejah, Ojo de Buey, Ojo de Venado, Ojo de Llama, Kaw Ai, Kevatch, Kapi Kacchu, Quenk Mula, Frijol de Abono.

Erythrina mulungu / Mulungu / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Santalum rubrum / Red Sandalwood / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Pterocarpi Lignum. Santalum rubrum. Lignum rubrum. Red Sandalwood. Rubywood. Rasura Santalum Ligni. Red Santal Wood. Sappan

Myrospermum toluiferum / Tolubalsam / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Scent

Tolubalsam has a pleasant vanilla-like odor, and a sweetish aromatic taste. The Balsam of Tolu is preferred over Peru Balsam. When a small portion of it is burned, it fills a room with an agreeable aroma, and promotes expectoration. A milder fragrance is given to the atmosphere by adding a few grams to a quart of boiling water.

Aromatic Properties

It is soluble in alcohol, ether, and essential oils.

Contents

About 80 per cent amorphous resin, with cinnamic acid, a volatile oil, and a little vanillin, benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate.
To distinguish it from Balsam of Peru it can be tested with sulphuric acid and water, yielding a grey mass instead of the lovely violet colour of the genuine Peruvian Tolu Balsam.

Synergic Combinations

Palo Santo, Pine, Rosewater

Historical

There is still some obscurity about the origin of the different South American balsam-yielding trees. The appearance of the above variety is said to differ but slightly from the Peruvian, but the method of gathering the balsam is quite different. V-shaped cuts are made in the tree, and the liquid is received into calabash cups placed at an angle; these are emptied into flasks of raw hide, conveyed by donkeys to the depôts, and finally shipped in tin or earthen vessels, which occasionally contain large pieces of red brick.
On arrival the balsam is soft and sticky, but exposure to the air makes it hard and brittle, more like resin, with a crystalline appearance. In colour it is pale, yellowish red or brown. As the balsam solidifies, its odour becomes more feeble, but the quantity of cinnamic acid increases, and it thus becomes valuable to perfumers as a fixative, an ounce added to a pound of volatile perfume making it much more permanent.
Tolu Balsam is frequently adulterated with turpentines, styrax, colophony, etc., and may be tested by heating it in sulphuric acid. If pure, it will yield a cherry-red liquid, and will dissolve without any appearance of sulphurous acid.

Plant Description

It is a tree which grows throughout the forests of South America, especially on the elevated parts near Carthagena, Tolu, and in the Magdalena provinces of Columbia. The balsam is obtained by making incisions into the tree.

References

Balsam of Tolu, A Modern Herbal, by Maud Grieve
Myrospermum Peruiferum. Balsam Peru. The Physiomedical Dispensatory (1869), by William Cook, M.D.

Dipteryx odorata / Tonco bean / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Norway

Anadenanthera colubrina / Yopo / Leguminosae (Pea family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Curupau, Curupay, Cebil, Yopi, Yopo, Cohoba, Yupa, Vilca, Huilca, Angico Preto, Curupay-atá, Niopo, Hisioma, Angico, Vilica, Sebil.

Contents

Twelve indole alkaloids have been detected in the genus Anadenanthera. The discribution of these compounds in the various organs and vegetable parts of the plants is not uniform and no species has been found to contain all 12 alkaloids. The primary active constituent of the seeds is bufotenin, a tryptamine related to serotonin and DMT. The seeds contain small amounts of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-hydroxy-N-monomethyltryptamine. (1)

Historical

The genus Anadenanthera was, together with tobacco, one of the most widely used shamanic inebriants. It is primarily South American in distribution and includes two species with two varieties each. The earliest evidence for the use of psychoactive plants in South America is provided by remains of seeds and pods recovered from archaeological sites four millennia old. Seeds are roasted, pulverized and inhaled through the nose, or smoked in pipes or as cigars. Anadenanthera also serves as an ingredient for chicha (a fermented drink) or similar preparations. The archaeological and ethnographical record have provided a wealth of information concerning the use of Anadenanthera. This is particularly true for regions of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina where the climate has favored preservation of ancient artifacts and human remains. Study of these materials has provided evidence of the continuous association of Anadenanthera with emerging Andean cultures. Such findings are indicative of its central role in the cultural development of indigenous New World societies.
Throughout Orinocia and Amazonia Yopo snuff is seen as an intermediary, and it is the element that allows access to the extra-human. The ceremonies were all-night sessions involving continuous use of the snuff. The use of snail shell as a snuff container is widespread, as is association with feline imagery. (1)
The snuff made of Anadenanthera seeds is taken for such purposes as magic or religious ceremonies and the diagnosis of illness by means of divination. At present, in some areas of northwestern Argentina the seeds of cebil are used to prepare an infusion taken mostly for disorders said to be of supernatural origin. (2)

Plant Description

Anadenanthera is a beautiful delicate fern-leaved tree with spreading branches, white puff-ball flowers and dark leather brown pods with 10-15mm diameter black pip seeds. It resembles the Lead Tree, the Albizia and many other legume trees, but it has the most delicate doubly pinnately-compound mimosa leaves.
Plants need full sunlight and prefer well-drained soil. Let the soil dry completely between watering. A. colubrina can handle some short term freezing conditions.
Anadenanthera peregrina is a species that occurs naturally and cultivated in the open plains or llanos region of the Orinoco basin of Colombia and Venezuela, in savannahs and light forests in British Guiana and in Brazil in the open grasslands.

Legal Remarks

This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries. Click on the country link for further information.

• Australia
• Bulgaria
• Lithuania
• Finland

References

(1) Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America by Constantino Manual Torres, David B. Repke
(2) Hallucinogenic Snuff from Northwestern Argentina by M. L. Pochettino, A. R. Cortella, and M. Ruiz

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Ayahuasca Homepage

Related Products

Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi)
Edible Lime (Calcium Hydroxide)
Kajuyali Tsamani (Kajuyali Tsamani)