Datasheet:--- Salvia Divinorum
1. NOMENCLATURE
Synonyms: --- None
Common Names (english): --- Diviner's Sage, Salvia, Sage of the Seers, Salvia of the Seers, Leaves of the Mary Shepherdess
Common Names (non-english): --- Aztekensalbei, blatter der hirtin, foglie della pastora, hierba de la pastora, hierba de la virgen, hoja de la pastora (Spanish, "leaf of the shepherdess"), hojas de advinacion, hojas de maria pastora, la hembra, mazatekischer, salbei, pipiltzitzintli, ska maria pastora, ska pastora (Mazatec, "leaf of the shepherdess"), wahrsagesalbei, yerba de maria, yerba maria, zaubersalbei
Taxonomic Position: --- Labiatae (Lamiaceae; Mint Family); Subfamily Nepetoieae, Salvieae Tribe, Salviinae Subtribe, Dusenostachys
2. DESCRIPTION
Plant Type: --- Perennial Herb
Morphology: --- The evergreen plant is a herbaceous perennial that can grow to over 1 meter in height. Its most characteristic feature is its completely four-sided, sometimes even square stem, which can grow as thick as 2 cm. Its edges are angular. Both the opposite leaves and the side branches develop from nodes on the stem. The light to dark green leaves are entirely covered in fine hairs and attain a length of over 20 cm and a width of some 10 cm. The leaves are lanceolate and tapered at both ends. The panicled inflorescences appear at the ends of the stalks and look exactly like those of Coleus blumei. The campanulate calyxes are bluish or purple in color, while the petals are always white. In Mexico, the plant blossoms between October and March but primarily in January. In cultivation, the plant seldom flowers, and the fruits almost never develop. Recently, however, on clone has been discovered that develops fruits and seeds more frequently. A hummingbird has been observed as a pollinator. The seeds germinate and begin to develop. but with our current gardening techniques, they all eventually die.
Similarity to Other Species: --- Salvia Divinorum can be confused with a similar, closely related Central American species, Salvia cyanea
3. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY
Geographical Distribution: --- Salvia Divinorum is endemic to the Mazatec region of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Apart from this, the plant is found only as a cultigen among "neo-shamans" and in botanical gardens. It occurs naturally in tropical rain and cloud forests at altitudes between 300 and 1,800 meters. Because of its small original range, the plant is one of the rarest of all natural entheogens. It is now grow by plant enthusiasts around the world.
Native Habitat: --- Tropical Rain and Cloud forests of Oaxaca
Hardiness and Environmental Requirements: --- Prefers very high humidity. Although the plant is sensitive to cold, Salvia divinorum can survive a mild frost.
Soil Requirements: --- Prefers Dark soil
4. PROPAGATION AND CYCLE
Types of Propagation: --- Propagation is performed with cuttings or layers/shoots. All leaves except the topmost pair are removed from an 8 to 12 cm long branch tip, which is then placed in water. The cutting should develop roots in about two weeks. It can be planted in soil after around four weeks. Salvia divinorum requires a great deal of water and prefers high to very high humidity. If the edges of the leaf turn brown, this is a sure sign that the air is too dry. As a shade plant, it does not tolerate any direct sunlight, prefers dark soil, and needs copious amounts of water, i.e., it should be watered almost every day.
Seed Germination Notes: --- Methods of cultivating the plant from seed are currently being investigated.
Life Cycle: --- N/A
5. HISTORY AND CULTURE---
The Aztecs knew and used a plant they called pipiltzintzintli (literally "the noblest little prince") in entheogenic rituals in a manner very similar to the ways in which they used mushrooms. A number of authors have suggested that this plant was Salvia divinorum. Gordon Wasson discovered the plant and its divinatory use in 1962. That same year, the plant was first botanically described by Carl Epling and Carlos D. Jativa-M., botanists from UCLA. In the 1960's, Albert Hoffman was unable to discover any active constituents in an initial analysis of juice pressed fro the plant. The chemistry and pharmacology of the plant was not clarified until the 1980s and 1990s, when Salvinorin A was discovered.
6. PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS
Documented properties: --- Hallucinogen
Parts of the plant with therapeutic/psychoactive value: --- Fresh or Dried Leaves
Phytochemical Information: --- The leaves contain the neoclerodan diterpenes salvinorin A and salvinorin B as well as two other similar substances whose composition has not been completely determined. The main active constituent is salvinorin A, which can induce extreme effects in dosages as low as 150-500u
Loliolide, a substance known from Lolium perenne L. , has also been detected.
Neither an essential oil nor thujone, which is known to occur in other Salvia species, has been discovered to date.
6. REFERENCES AND CITATIONS
STS Threads with Information: ---
External Links: ---
Citation Sources: ---
Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants - Ethnopharmacology and its Applications
By Christian Ratsch
Forward by Albert Hoffman
Pages 462-464
Author
Topic: [DATASHEET] Salvia divinorum (Salvia) (Read 14087 times)