Aniba rosaedora / Rosewood / Lauraceae (Laurel 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sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated.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

Rosewood, Aniba rosaedora, Palo de Rosa, Pau Rosa, Bois de Rose Femelle, Pau Ferro, Cara-cara.

Description

Rosewood oil is extracted from the Cayenne Rosewood tree, which grows in the Amazon region and French Guiana. The essential oil is extracted from the wood, branches and the roots and has a woody and floral fragrance. Rosewood oil has been widely used in perfumery in the making of expensive fragrances.

Scent

Rosewood has a fantastic warm and woody fragrance, while at the same time being both floral and fruity. Perfume-note: Middle.

Aromatic Properties

Rosewood oil fragrance has calming and steadying effects on the nerves. The scent is relaxing and calming, and works as an aphrodisiac. Uplifting and reviving to the senses. It is used in meditations, because it is a good oil to burn that relaxes without causing drowsiness. There are various ways to use Rosewood oil to help in natural healing.

Contents

Alpha-pinene, camphene, geranial, neral, myrcene, limonene, 1, 8-cineole, linalool, benzaldehyde, linalool oxide and a-terpineol.

Synergic Combinations

Blends well with Lavender, Orange, Lemon, Tangerine, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Palma Rosa, Geranium, Neroli, Jasmine, Pine, Rose, Ylang Ylang.

Historical

Rosewood oil has for a long time been used in the preparation of more expensive perfumes and soaps. Brazil is the main producer of the essential oil. The oil contains high amounts of linalool, which can be transformed into a number of derivatives for the flavour and fragrance industries. Nowadays the industry uses mainly synthetic forms of linalool. The wood itself has a long history of use for making furniture, boats, turnery, flooring, plywood, veneer and the making of musical instruments. Because of its density and durability, Rosewood is often used in Chinese martial arts weaponry, particularly as the shaft of spears.

Plant Description

It is an aromatic, evergreen tree that is native to Southern Brazil and to Bolivia. It is a fast growing thornless tree which blooms in spring. Leaves are briefly decidious, leathery and trivial. They are alternate, opposite and imparipinnate. They can be up to 12cm long. Individual leaflets are about 6cm long. The foliage of the Rosewood is similar to that of the Black Locust, Robinia pseudoacacia. Flowers are grouped in axillary or terminal racemes, and bloom in spring. They are yellow, with a brown part at its basis. The fruits are brown, flattened and winged, similar to that of some Maple trees, and can be more than 7cm long.
Rosewood oil is steam distilled from the wood, branches and roots of the tree.

Ruta graveolens / Ruta / Rutaceae (Rue 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

Aruta, Common Rue, Garden Rue, German Rue, Countryman's Treacle, German Rue, Herb of Grace, Herb of Repentance, Herbygrass, Ruda, Rue, Sadab, Somalata, Weinkraut, Wijnruit.

Description

In the Middle Ages and later, Ruta was, in many parts of Europe, considered to be a powerful defense against witches, and was used in many spells. Ruta was once a very popular remedy, known as the "Eye herb". Many artists, among them Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo spoke in praise of Ruta`s metaphysical powers. It has been used for a variety of illnesses. It helps soften respiratory troubles like coughs and sore throats in a natural way. It also helps to maintain good comfort before and during menstrual cycle. Furthermore it contributes to the microbial balance in the body organs and tissues.(5)

Scent

Ruta has a pungent, skunk-like odor.

Contents

The chemical composition is large and varied. Over 110 chemicals have been found in all parts of the plant, including fats, oils, flavanoids, alkaloids, essential oils and a host of others. The volatile oil is contained in glands distributed over the whole plant and contains caprinic, plagonic, caprylic and oenanthylic acids have been found. Rue contains max. 1% of an essential oil, whose main components are 2-hendecanone (2-undecanone, methylnonylketone, up to 60%) and 2-nonanone (methylheptylketone) plus several more ketones and corresponding secondary alcohols. Methyl anthranilate and anethole glycol are also reported; terpenoids are represented mainly by limonene, α-pinene, cuminaldehyd and l,8-cineol. Rue also contains flavonoids (including rutin), furanocoumarins (including bergapten), about 1.4% furoquinoline alkaloids (including fagarine, skimmianine, arborinine, and others).

Historical

Rue has been used as a medicinal and "antimagic" herb for centuries. It was considered a reliable defense against witches. Gunflints boiled in a mixture of rue and vervain were said improve the shooter's aim. Artists, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, improved their creativity and eyesight by ingesting rue. Rue is a symbol of regret, sorrow and repentance, and Catholics used sprigs of it to sprinkle holy water on worshippers. The rue leaf was the model for the suit of clubs in playing cards. The name Ruta is from the Greek “Reuo”, meaning “to set free”. (1)(2)

Health Warnings

Some people are allergic to rue and get a skin rash from handling the plant. Especially on hot days, just brushing against rue can cause water blisters and blotchy skin, much like poison ivy. For some people, ingestion causes increased photosensitivity and can lead to severe sunburn. Ingesting large amounts of rue can cause violent stomach pain, vomiting, and convulsions. Pregnant women should never ingest rue. (1)

Plant Description

Rue is an aromatic plant native to southern Europe and northern Africa. It is commonly cultivated in Europe and the U.S., sometimes escaping to grow wild locally. It is a small evergreen subshrub or semiwoody perennial 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) tall and almost as wide. The stems become woody near the base, but remain herbaceous nearer the tips. The 3-5 in (7.6-12.7 cm) long leaves are dissected pinnately into oblong or spoon shaped segments. They are somewhat fleshy and usually covered with a powdery bloom. The sea green foliage has a strong, pungent, rather unpleasant scent when bruised. The paniculate clusters of small yellow flowers appear in midsummer, held well above the foliage and often covering most of the plant. Each flower is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across with four concave notched petals. The fruit is a roundish capsule, warted, and 4-lobed, each lobe opening into 2 valves. (3)(4)

Legal Remarks

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

• Finland
• Norway

References

(1) Ruta graveolens, Floridata
(2) Rue (Ruta graveolens L.), Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages
(3) Ruta.—Rue., King's American Dispensatory
(4) Rue, A modern Herbal, by Maud Grieve
(5) Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, compiled by Jellin, Jeff M.

Espiritus del Ande / Sacred Plants Incense

Description

Espiritus del Ande (the Spirits of the Andes) are handmade incense blocks (6 pieces, 20grams per package) made from Palo Santo wood, Wiracoa and other herbs, in 4 different varieties, packed in a colourfull carton box.

Espiritus del Ande / Sacred Plants Incense

Description

Espiritus del Ande (the Spirits of the Andes) are handmade incense blocks (6 pieces, 20grams per package) made from Palo Santo wood, Wiracoa and other herbs, in 4 different varieties, packed in a colourfull carton box.

Espiritus del Ande / Sacred Plants Incense

Description

Espiritus del Ande (the Spirits of the Andes) are handmade incense blocks (6 pieces, 20grams per package) made from Palo Santo wood, Wiracoa and other herbs, in 4 different varieties, packed in a colourfull carton box.

Sahumerios Incense

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.

Sahumerios Incense

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.

Sahumerios Incense

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.

Sahumerios Incense

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.

Sahumerios Incense

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.

Smilax officinalis / Sarsaparilla / Smilacaceae (Greenbrier 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.

Description

The species can be found in tropical rainforests and temperate regions in the Americas, Asia, India, and Australia. Sarsaparilla became known in Europe through the Spanish in Mexico and south-America. Smilax has been recognized as a general medicine in traditional cultures in Mexico and south-America, as well as in China and India. Throughout history it has been uses for a variety of purposes. The root is said to improve physical performance(5).

Scent

The fragrance of the root is considered pleasant with a spicy sweet taste.
A different species also known as Sarsaparilla was formerly used extensively as a flavoring agent. Most notably, it was traditionally the ingredient that gave root beer its distinctive taste.

Contents

Sarsaparilla's main plant chemicals include: acetyl-parigenin, astilbin, beta-sitosterol, caffeoyl-shikimic acids, dihydroquercetin, diosgenin, engeletin, essential oils, epsilon-sitosterol, eucryphin, eurryphin, ferulic acid, glucopyranosides, isoastilbin, isoengetitin, kaempferol, parigenin, parillin, pollinastanol, resveratrol, rhamnose, saponin, sarasaponin, sarsaparilloside, sarsaponin, sarsasapogenin, shikimic acid, sitosterol-d-glucoside, smilagenin, smilasaponin, smilax saponins A-C, smiglaside A-E, smitilbin, stigmasterol, taxifolin, and titogenin. (1)

Historical

Sarsaparilla root has been used for centuries by the indigenous peoples of Central and South America. Many shamans and medicine men in the Amazon use sarsaparilla root internally and externally. New World traders found it and introduced it into European medicine in the 1400s. (1)
Sarsaparilla was also used by indigenous people of Mexico, such as the Aztecs. Its nature was considered to be "dry and hot", a reference to the ancient system of characterizing medicinal plants. Mexican Sarsaparilla was introduced to Seville about 1536. Few plants have had the rise and fall in popularity that sarsaparilla has had. When it was introduced it was considered remarkably effective for diverse chronic diseases, and many doctors of the time wrote about its benefits. During its height of popularity, 1831, for example, 176,854 pounds of the herb were imported into England alone. (2)
For use in medicine, sarsaparilla root is dried and chopped, shredded, or powdered. In Chinese medicine, sarsaparilla is combined with a number of other ingredients into an oral compound, while Indian traditional healers apply the juice of sarsaparilla leaves topically. (3)

Plant Description

A Tribe of climbing and shrubby plants, with oval leaves conspicuously veined. Sarsaparilla got its name from two Spanish words: "Zarza" and "Parilla," referring to the thorny vines of the plant. The plant now under consideration is a native of Central America, especially of Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and New Grenada. Several varieties of the root come upon the market, of which the present species seems most valuable. According to Humboldt and Bonpland, this plant has an angular, twining, and somewhat prickly stem, the young shoots being smooth. Leaves ovate-oblong, acute, smooth, tough, five to seven-nerved, a foot long, on short petioles, with stipules in the form of tendrils. The roots are slender, very long, several from the same collum, reddish-brown, and tough. (4)

Legal Remarks

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

• Finland

References

(1) Sarsaparilla, Raintree Plant Database
(2) Sarsaparilla, Innvista
(3) Sarsaparilla, Drug Digest
(4) Smilax Officinalis, King's American Dispensatory
(5) Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, edited by Jeff M. Jellin