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Herbs & Plants

Alchornea floribunda

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Botanical Name :Alchornea floribunda
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily: Acalyphoideae
Tribe: Alchorneae
Genus: Alchornea
Species: A. floribunda
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Malpighiales

Common Names:Niando,Iporuru, Iporoni, Macochihua,Christmas Bush, Tekei, Agyama, Mbom, Diangba, Alan, Elando, Mulolongu, Kai, Sumara Fida

Habitat :Alchornea floribunda is  native to Sudan, Uganda, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Description:
Alchornea floribunda is a small evergreen tree that grows up to 10 meters in height.  The flowers are dark red, and the fruit are capsules that are smooth, hairy and ranging from green to red in color. Each fruit contains two  bright red seeds. A. floribunda is found growing primarily in forest undergrowth in Africa.  It may be propagated through seed or stem cuttings and needs very moist soil…….CLICK & SEE  THE PICTURES

You may click to see : pictures of Alchornea floribunda plant.

TRADITIONAL USES: Members of the Byeri group of the Fang in Gabon, a precursor to today’s Bwiti tribe, are said to have once consumed large amount of the root of A. floribunda, which they called alan, as part of initiation rituals.  It is said that the effects are weaker and not as long lasting as those of iboga (Tabernanthe iboga), the entheogen which they now use most commonly in these rituals. During this initiation ritual, the initiate would be shown the skulls of his or her ancestors, and the alan root was said to help them to communicate with the spirits of these dead invidivuals.  A. floribunda is still used today by the Byeri alongside iboga, and on its own as an aphrodisiac.

The related species A. laxiflora is used by the Yoruba people of Nigeria to deflect negative magical attacks back to the originator.  In Peru, A. castaneifolia has been used as an ayahuasca additive and a treatment for rheumatism by many different tribes.

TRADITIONAL PREPARATION: In order to enjoy the aphrodisiac effects of A. floribunda, the Bwiti macerate the root cortex and steep it in palm wine for several days.  The root is also sometimes combined with iboga to potentiate the effects of both plants.  The root bark may also be sun-dried and powdered, then mixed with food and consumed prior to a ritual or a battle to give strength.

MEDICINAL USE:
The plant has psychedelic and aphrodisiac properties. The powdered rootbark is used for traditional medicine.Indigenous Amazonian peoples and Venezuelan’s use the Iporuru roots for everything from treating arthritis to an aphrodisiac to an added ingredient for making Ayahuasca.

The leaves of A. floribunda are sometimes eaten in the Congo as an antidote for poison, and the leaf or root sap is applied to the skin to treat irritation and wounds.

In the Ivory Coast, the leaves of A. cordifolia are consumed internally and used in baths as a sedative and antispasmodic.  The root bark and leaves are commonly used treat parasites, venereal diseases, ulcers, and many other ailments.  The leaves may also be chewed to relieve mouth ulcers.  In Nigeria, a decoction of the fruit is taken by women to prevent miscarriage and to treat other reproductive troubles.

TRADITIONAL EFFECTS: Consumption of A. floribunda is said to produce intense excitement and incredible ecstasy.  This is followed several hours later by depression, vertigo and eventual collapse.  At this point in the experience, the Bwiti believe that the soul is able to journey to the land of the ancestors and to communicate with them.  A. floribunda has been known to cause overdose and death in certain situations, which is perhaps why it is no longer commonly used as an entheogen, even by the Bwiti.

Several species of Alchornea, including A. cordifolia and A. hirtella have been found to contain numerous alkaloids, including possibly yohimbine.  When a decoction of powdered A. floribunda was given to dogs, it was found to increase the sensitivity of the sympathetic nervous system to epinephrine.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:

Alchornea floribunda – Alan Root


http://www.ktbotanicals.com/alchornea-floribunda-iporuru-iporoni-macochihua-niando-p-2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchornea_floribunda

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Herbs & Plants

Dracunculus vulgaris

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Botanical Name:Dracunculus vulgaris
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Subfamily: Aroideae
Tribe: Areae
Genus: Dracunculus
Species: D. vulgaris

Common Names: Dragon Arum, the Black Arum, the Voodoo Lily, the Snake Lily, the Stink Lily, the Black Dragon, the Black Lily, Dragonwort, and Ragons.

Habitat:Dracunculus vulgaris is native to the Balkans, extending as far as Greece, Crete and the Aegean Islands, and also to the south-western parts of Anatolia.. It has been introduced to the United States and is currently present in the states of Oregon, California, Camano Island, Washington and Tennessee as well as the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Description:

Dragon arum is a tuberous herbaceous perennial plant that is native to rocky areas and hillsides in the central to eastern Mediterranean areas from Greece to the Balkans to Turkey. It typically grows to 3′ tall and features large, erect, fan-shaped, palmately-divided, dark green leaves (to 12″ long) that are often streaked with white. Each leaf has 9-15 finger-like lobes reportedly resembling in appearance the claw of a dragon, hence the common name. Leaves appear in clusters on a stalk-like, black/purple-spotted pseudostem. Large, foul-smelling, maroon-purple spathes (each to as much as 20″ long and 8″ wide) appear above the leaves in late spring/early summer. The foul odor of the spathes, sometimes described as akin to the nauseous aroma of rotten meat, attracts flies for pollinating the flowers. Each spathe envelops a central, upright, nearly black, tail-like spike (spadix) which is nearly as long as the spathe, but sometimes longer, with a diameter of only 1/2 to 3/4″. The spathe contains inconspicuous, hidden, unisexual flowers. Flowers are followed by green berries which mature to orange-red in fall. This plant is synonymous with and formerly called Arum dracunculus.
The species is characterised by a large purple spathe and spadix has a very unpleasant smell reminiscent of a carcass. That is because the pollinators of this aroid are flies (Lucilia and others).

Cultivation:
Dracunculus vulgaris has been introduced to northern Europe, and North America, both to the United States, where it is present in the states of Kansas, Oregon, California, Washington, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and to Canada, where it has been grown in the province of Ontario.The plant can tolerate some shade but prefers full sun; it can also withstand drought but benefits from a little watering. The plant prefers a humus-rich, well-drained soil.

The plant can be easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, rich soils. Spreads by self-seeding and bulb offsets. Plants are not reliably winter hardy throughout the St. Louis area where mulch should be applied in winter to help protect them from cold temperatures. In cold winter areas north of USDA Zone 6, tubers may be dug up in autumn, overwintered indoors and replanted in spring in somewhat the same manner as dahlias.

Medicinal Uses:
Dioscorides thought it resembled a dragon. In ancient medicine it was used for the eyes and ears, for ruptures, convulsions and coughs.  Dioscorides says, “But being beaten small with honey, and applied, it takes away the malignancie of ulcers.”

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracunculus_vulgaris
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/drvu.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_DE.htm

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d513

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