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The Corroboree

Ed Dunkel

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Posts posted by Ed Dunkel

  2. Posted

    cool! that's a pretty neat and active blog. I think blogs need to get some sort of momentum going before they are selfsustaining. till then you have to keep telling people that there is a new entry.

    So, you condone this sort of self-promoting. :rolleyes::innocent_n:

    I normally add an entery every coulpe of days, depending on what crazy news stories I randomly walk across.

    So keep checking guys :wink:

  6. Posted

    Trouts notes claims it to be (from memory). Not sure about the 'grey' clone [shrug]

    Obviously there is discussion (controversy) regarding if L. williamsii var caespotosa is strictly that different from

    straight L. williamsii. But then there is loads of controversy about the whole species naming system for Lophophora.

    Not to mention Trichocereus (Echinopsis) :wink:

  12. Posted

    You have been reading this, haven't you... ;)

    Tillandsia spp.; Bromeliaceae; Peyote Companion; Soluchil; "Dowáka" (T. bentamiana); "Rereshíwasa" (T. karwinskysna); "Waráruwi" (T. mooreana).

    This genus contains raphids and proteolytic enzymes. Raphids are tiny needlelike cystals of calcium oxalate; they are skin irritants that are strengthened by the proteolytic enzymes (Raven & Curtis, 1970:540; Frohne & Pfänder, 1983:52). The species has been shown to contain the flavonoids retusin and artemetin which may act as antiinflammatories and analgesics (Costa et al., 1989:25-33; Arslanian et al., 1986). The Tarahumara drink a tea of T. benthamina to act as a purgative, laxative, and cathartic. T. karwinskyana is used in a tea to treat constipation. The author was told by one female herbalist that this plant would help with urinary problems. (Personal communication, Felicitas Cruz, July 1993.) The genus is used as a wash to treat rheumatism (Bye, 1985:90). The shamans consider it a companion plant of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) although it does not grow in the same habitat (Bye, 1976:209). The companionship must, therefore, be a spiritual one.

  13. Posted

    We had a discussion about this a while back, and some helpful info about the differences can be found below:

    http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/inde...mp;hl=emarcidum

    Also I have a copy of the paper that highlights the differences between the Sceletium species (as do others). I can run another photocopy of it if you'd like.

    What Torsten described is basically the deal, dried leaf skeletinization differences marks the difference between the two groups.

  16. Posted

    I have ~18 Lophophora williamsii seeds for a swap (or two seperate swaps of 9 each) if two people reply.

    Mother: L. williamsii (var. williamsii -graft-T. peruvianus- seed bought from Cactus Heaven, Malta)

    Father: Self polinated (possible contamination from nearby flowering L. williamsii var. caespitosa or L. friccii)

    Swap for Peganum harmala seed, ...or something else in my wants list.

  20. Posted · Edited by Ed Dunkel

    I have seen some Coastal wattles (A. sophorae) with quite wide phyloids, resembling phleb phyloids you see in the pictures. (Wilson's Prom area)

    Check the plant again and take some piccies and if you are down there later in the year, take some seed.

  21. Posted · Edited by Ed Dunkel

    http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/mpo.../mp060066m.html (or check my blog)

    `[..] Computational modeling of the THC-AChE interaction revealed that THC binds in the peripheral anionic site of AChE, the critical region involved in amyloidgenesis. Compared to currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, THC is a considerably superior inhibitor of A aggregation, and this study provides a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which cannabinoid molecules may directly impact the progression of this debilitating disease.

    [..] Therefore, AChE inhibitors such as THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic for Alzheimer’s disease, augmenting acetylcholine levels by preventing neurotransmitter degradation and reducing A aggregation, thereby simultaneously treating both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.’mp060066m.pdf

    mp060066m.pdf

    mp060066m.pdf

  22. Posted · Edited by Ed Dunkel

    For those interested in Croweas

    3 species -

    angustifolia (WA)

    saligna (NSW)

    exalata (Vic, NSW)

    And several hybrids -

    (exalata X salgna)

    'Poorlnda Ecstasy'

    'Festival'

    'Cooper's Hybrid'

    C. exalata 'Bindalong Compact'

    C. exalata 'Austraflora Green Cape'

    and there are probably more (feel free to add)

    Here's a good link to Croweas and some hybrids:

    http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL18/jun00-5.html

  23. Posted

    Strange!!!

    My longleaf is growing exceptionally well, flowering this winter!!!

    The red leaf looks great as well, loads of leaves (I should check for flowers). Only problem with that the red leaf is sudden seedling death (SSD) right next to healthy seedlings??? And the leaves seem to crumble and dry on the outside, during the summer.

    On the other hand, the white khat seems to be struggling. During the summer and now also the winter. I'm thinking of planting it out.

    The red and longleaf khat are in plastic pots and the redleaf in a terracotta. I also have the red and longleaf in the ground and both seem to be fine.

  24. Posted

    I don't know much about this plant. I conducted a search of Biological Abstracts today and found one article in the scientific literature:

    Heinze, O'Neill, Briggs, Cardwell. Buffalo Sallow Wattle Acacia phlebophylla of Mount Buffalo Victorian Naturalist (Blackburn). 115(5). Oct., 1998. 205-209.

    There may be others of a biochemical nature, but for botany or conservation this was it.

    This is a chemistry related one (quite old):

    Alkaloids of Acacia. I. Nb,Nb-Dimethyltryptamine in Acacia phlebophylla.

    Australian Journal of Chemistry (1967), 20, (6), 1299-300. CODEN:AJCHAS ISSN:0004-9425.

    This one might also be interesting:

    Seigler DS Phytochemistry of Acacia - sensu lato

    BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY 31 (8): 845-873 AUG 2003

  25. Posted

    That is all every nice but covalent bonds do break (some rather easy) just by different mechanisms than that for ionic bonds.

    UV light is one good source for breaking certain covalent bonds (thus one keeps there compounds in dark glass bottles, in cabinets or even wraps it up in aluminium foil, in a dark glass bottle inside a cabinet)

    Increasing temperature increases the rate of reactions (generally) and thus reducing the temp. will reduce the rate of unwanted reactions (the ones that will break down your compound). Thus compounds are usually kept in a fridge or freezer, which happens to be dark as well!

    Another way to keep things from breaking down is removing a source or radicals (reactive species). Radicals are usually very reactive and will easily go for any double bonds in your structure or leave radicals on your structure, enevitably destroying it. Certain compounds will break down to form radicals and under certain conditions, one being temp. and/or UV light. Radical inhibitors can be used to reduce their numbers and this is why ascorbic acid (Vit C) and other such compounds are usually dissolved in with the compound wanted to be kept stable.

    Oxygen is a good source of oxidative radicals and removing oxygen will increase the storage time of your samples. Placing your compound under nitrogen, argon (sometimes CO2) are preferable. Keeping a sample under vacuum is also a good option, if you have the equipment on hand.

    Removing compounds from being in solution is also a good way of keeping it stable. Dry solids have better stability against reactions, as many organic reactions require a media to work under (solvents, aqueous).

    So using these guidelines one can store most organic samples for months or even years.

    However some compounds just have inherent low stability and will spontaneously degrade, thus even these storage methods won't work.

    Having said all this, mescaline is quite a robust compound, especially is the most reactive part of the molecule (the amine) is protected by being protonated /salified into a salt like HCl or a sulphate.

    But i'm sure a slush of cactus juice left in a fridge for more than a week or two will have those bacteria stealing the jummies from the crop.

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