Alchemica Posted December 20, 2022 Anyone have personal experience with these plants? Curious as I can only find limited info on their use. Trichodiadema stellatum (syn. barbatum) This plant has been used as a yeast substitute for brewing beer and is reported to contain the psychoactive alkaloid mesembrine (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). Laidler (1928) also states that this plant known as kareemoer is “one of the beer making roots, a deliriant and intoxicant with an earlier stimulant action”. HARGREAVES 1998 notes that it is believed to contain an intoxicating alkaloid (“probably mesembrine”) Positive general alkaloid tests (ZWICKY) were had for Trichodiadema barbatum Mesembs reported to contain mesembrine alkaloids Trichodiadema barbatum (unconfirmed) Trichodiadema bulbosum (unconfirmed) Trichodiadema intonsum (unconfirmed) - FESTI & SAMORINI 1995 They have a nice fat root system that could be useful (similarly to D. bosseranum) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fyzygy Posted December 20, 2022 Nice find! Gaffney (2006) mentions this species in relation to the beer fermentation, and snuff (?) https://def-sa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gaffney_Candice_D_2006_0.pdf 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fyzygy Posted December 23, 2022 (edited) T. stellatum is "closely related" to Mesembryanthemum mahonii, and both species (in different parts of Africa) are used in the brewing of a "potently inebriating beer" (Rätsch 360). T. stellatum is used "as a yeast substitute for baking bread and brewing beer. The roots purportedly possess potent inebriating properties" (Rätsch 360-61). Rätsch includes T. stellatum on his list of almost 70 psychoactive beer additives (all suppressed by the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, according to Rätsch 730-31). Page numbers refer to the print edition, Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. You might want to check out Räsch's entire entry for "Mesembryanthemum spp.", in one of the electronic editions, over at libgen.is -- which includes more than a few known and potential candidate species. The eBook/PDF editions are too large to include here. Included in his Sacred Cactus (3E), Trouts Notes on Some Other Succulents confirms Alchemica's original post, with a lot more information besides. Edited December 23, 2022 by fyzygy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
