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Obscure ethnobotanicals

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Here is a list of obscure ethnobotanical plants and cacti which I have not seen much mention of before and may be of some interest.

Hopefully I won't be listing things you already know about, so here goes.

Arctostaphylos - shrub wild in N America and Europe pink or white flowers, psychoactive varieties include A.alpina and A.uva-ursi

AKA bearberry - the leaves are smoked

Coleus blumei - related to SD smoke or chew leaves, activity not confirmed.

Conium maculatum- poison hemlock- alkaloid is coniine- poisonous.

Coriaria spp C.thymfolia, C.atropurpurea, C.arborea, C.myrtafolia, C.ruscifolia. Delierient/Hallucinogen.

Coryphantha macromeris (Donana) cactus- alkaloid macromerine 1/5th as potent as mescaline. stimulant slightly hallucinogenic.

Desfontainia spinosa- holly like leaves, funnel shaped flowers, shamanistic rituals in South America.

Epithelantha micromeris - cactus - obscure psychoactives. AKA Hikuli Mulato

Hieracium pilocella (hawkweed) smoked reported psychoactive.

Rhynchosia -

Terminalia - from tropical Asia - kernels are consumed

Obviously more investigation is needed, and it goes without saying that none of these are intended for human consumption.

Hope this was usefull.

[ 08. October 2004, 22:26: Message edited by: Gonzo ]

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Arctostaphylos - shrub wild in N America and Europe pink or white flowers, psychoactive varieties include A.alpina and A.uva-ursi

AKA bearberry - the leaves are smoked

Please expound upon the effects. I understand that it is toxic.

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Not having tried these things before I can only comment on what I have found by research.

A. uva-ursi is a small ground cover smoked by certain Native American tribes in the northwest for its narcotic properties.(from Lycaeum).

http://www.albany.edu/anthro/fac/Rafferty_JAS_2002.pdf

A link on the smoking habits of Native Americans, including what they smoked other than tobacco.

Uva-ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) An excellent alternative to tobacco or illegal substances. Smokes cool and well with an exquisite bouquet. Uva-ursi is great in a pipe or rolled. This is a natural and legal relaxant - euphoric-like smoke.

Native Americans used Uva-ursi, also known as bearberry or kinnikinnick, in place of tobacco.

From LegalSmokes.com

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I smoke the leaves whilst writing this--

The taste is extremely pleasant--akin to the ebony leaf used to wrap bidis. I feel no indications of psychoactivity.

Hopefully Friendly can tell us a little about this herb.

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probably not a good idea to be making a tea from conium maculatum. i don't know anyone who has done it, a little research would caution against it.

[ 08. October 2004, 19:05: Message edited by: waterdragon ]

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I agree where that is concerned. Scrap that bit about the tea, that was a mistake. I cant read my own handwriting sometimes.I will edit that.

I believe that this stuff was used as part of witches brews or ointments for the purpose of flying.

All parts of the plant contain a very strong poisonous alkaloid called conium.

Conium (produced by extraction of the juice of hemlock) is a narcotic, sedative and antispasmodic. Its medical use in the past was to treat coughing, epilepsy or any over activity of the muscles.

In poisonous doses it produces loss of sensation, complete paralysis of striated muscle, loss of speech, the respiration slows and eventually stops. Death results from asphyxiation. During this process the mind remains clear and unaffected.

The most famous account of the use of Hemlock is the poisoning of the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates.

Conium is a highly volatile plant alkaloid and loses its potency rapidly. Heat destroys it.

In cases of poisoning artificial respiration and the use of stimulants are indicated.

http://www.viable-herbal.com/herbdesc2/1hemlock.htm

As a medicine, Conium is sedative and antispasmodic, and in sufficient doses acts as a paralyzer to the centers of motion. In its action it is, therefore, directly antagonistic to that of Strychnine, and hence it has been recommended as an antidote to Strychnine poisoning, and in other poisons of the same class, and in tetanus, hydrophobia, etc. (In medieval days, Hemlock mixed with betony and fennel seed was considered a cure for the bite of a mad dog.)

On account of its peculiar sedative action on the motor centers, Hemlock juice (Succus conii) is prescribed as a remedy in cases of undue nervous motor excitability, such as teething in children, epilepsy from dentition. cramp, in the early stages of paralysis agitans, in spasms of the larynx and gullet, in acute mania, etc. As an inhalation it is said to relieve cough in bronchitis, whooping-cough, asthma, etc.

The drug has to be administered with care, as narcotic poisoning may result from internal use, and overdoses produce paralysis

In the case of poisoning by Hemlock, the antidotes are tannic acid, stimulants and coffee, emetics of zinc, or mustard and castor oil, and, if necessary, artificial respiration. It is essential to keep up the temperature of the body. Like many other poisonous plants, when cut and dried, Hemlock loses much of its poisonous properties, which are volatile and easily dissipated. Cooking destroys it.

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quote:

Coryphantha macromeris (Donana) cactus- alkaloid macromerine 1/5th as potent as mescaline. stimulant slightly hallucinogenic.

Planted a pkt of seed yesterday, original population locality, El paso texas . Unfortunatley i read that coryphanthas can take an inordinate amount of time to flower - a problem given the genus prohibited seed (weed!?) import status

C palmeri, C compacta and C macromeris var runyonii i think MS noted in his book

 

quote:

 

Epithelantha micromeris - cactus - obscure psychoactives. AKA Hikuli Mulato

pretty common amongst collectors. Ive bought them at the cactus meets. Small ones

Rot prone - i lost the firts one this way no doubt due to my begginners luck running out. MS smiths book suggest some possibility that Mammilaria (mammilopsis) senilis is the real Hikuli mulato

If you want to narow your search for non mescaline containing psychoactive cacti is recommend MS smiths book - check out the SAB booklist (when its back up) its great value

And yes you can get it free online somewhere but plz support

Mr Smiths work - when you see the book youll see why - a lot of crap and shoddy referencing has been peeled away from the past works on cacti and what you are served is the facts as supported by the primary documents wherever possible.

When MS was here he was a great guy but it wasnt until more recently ive fully appreciated hime for this work what his book has done sort out the mess of cactus ethnobotany

More species of obscurity..

Silene capensis

Xhosa dream herb

(got 2 germinating yay!)

Angeri (Bidis)

Lyonia ovafolia

also

Malastoma melabathricum

Berchemia edgeworthii

Favourite smoke of Nepali Jhankris with (possible) nicotine like effect (C ratsch)

many others in there incl a rhododendron

R lepidotum

(more details later - very tired)

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gonzo, which kind of terminalia do you mean? :confused:

i did a search and found many...

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Terminalia belerica - the kernels are reportedly consumed in parts of Asia as an hallucinogen.

Information on this effect seems to very limited, it is used for various remedies though.

[ 09. October 2004, 21:41: Message edited by: Gonzo ]

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Hawkweed will take over your garden if you are not very careful. It sends out creepers that root and spread everywhere.

My experiments with it were inclusive.

Coleus blumei has not worked for anyone I know who tried it.

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I HAVE TRIED an extract 10x of coleus pumila?, the red variety with no effect.

I believe that the diterpenoid content in the leaves degrades with heat, drying and time and that all positive effects in literature are from fresh material.

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what positive accounts in literature?? (and Mary Jane Superweed / Adam Gottlieb don't count )

I've had several varieties fresh and no effect whatsoever.

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i do remeber a positive report,

and i guess i read it at this forum.

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In the past I mixed the bark of Arctostaphylos arctostaphylos, which is out native white leaf manzanita, with my MJ in a mix. It was a smooth smoke, but I could not attribute any psychoactive qualities in it.

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Guest mandragora
waterdragon:

probably not a good idea to be making a tea from conium maculatum. i don't know anyone who has done it, a little research would caution against it.

G

Edited by mandragora

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herbalistics 10X hawkweed is a very nice smoke.

i'm thinking of it as a base to add other herbs to,the intended result...fauxpium!

t s t .

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Just be careful with the hemlock, it has pretty extreme weed potential by the look of the huge stands of it that grow in Europe.

(also be careful with its toxicity of course)

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hemlock is weedy in european climates such as victoria's melboune/frankston region. I doubt it will go weedy this far north.

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anyone ever tried coleus in combination with an MAOI...? Personally, my bet is it is just a psychedelic looking plant, not a psychedylic

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I believe Coleus blumei is indeed active, but with so many ornamental hybrids out there it just might difficult to spot the right one.

Check this out for more on Coleus

http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry161778

The popular ornamental Salvia Splendens seems to be psychoactive as well. Anxiolytic, emo-numbing, sedating effects have been reported. A friend of mine also confirmed that. There is evidence that other Salvias are indeed psychoactive, but not necessarily in the way S.divinorum is. Salvia superba, Salvia coccinea, a.o. are prime suspects at the time!

And, yeap. Poison Hemlock is something too toxic to be useful, but there seems to be indeed a psychoactivity and therapeutic reports, as suggested by Wiki

Poison hemlock has been used as a sedative and for its antispasmodic properties. It was also used by Greek and Persian physicians for a variety of problems, such as arthritis. However, it wasn't always effective as the difference between a therapeutic and a toxic amount is very slight. Overdoses can produce paralysis and loss of speech being followed by depression of the respiratory function and then death.
Edited by mutant

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asdfasd

 

Edited by Teljkon

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Good catch, I didnt know about its uses and I remember seeing it numerous times growing up.

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ..... The dried leaves have been used for smoking as an alternative to tobacco[238]. One report says that it is unclear whether this was for medicinal purposes or for the intoxicated state it could produce[192], whilst another says that the leaves were smoked to treat headaches and also as a narcotic[257].
Link

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Arcostapholos berries were dried and mixed with other herbs to make kininkinick, a smoking mixture reputed to be psychoactive. Not any successful results I know of.

Terminalia likewise. All three types.

Hemlock is to be taken in minute doses until one builds up a tolerance, something for which I see no use.

But then, I'm prejudiced.

I like the plants that involve you further, not dissassociate you, from what you are doing.

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think i tried 2 batches of uva ursi......some brown leaves seemed inactive........nicer looking green leaves had the traditional dont give a fuck feeling.......seemed like it would be good if you were doing it tough.

t s t .

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asdfas

Edited by Teljkon

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