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[Sunshine]

Datasheet: ---Heimia salicifolia

1. NOMENCLATURE

Synonyms: ---
Heimia salicifolia
Hemia syphillitica
Nesaea salicifolia
Nesaea syphlitica

Common Names (english): ---Sinicuichi, Sun opener plant


Common Names (non-english): ---Abre-o-sol (Portuguese, "sun opener"), anchinol, anchinoli, chapuzina, cuauxihuitl (Nahuatl "meadow fire"), escoba colorada (Spanish, "colorful broom"), escoba de arroyo (Spanish, "broom of the creek"), escobilla del rio, flor de San Francisco, garanona, granadilla, granadillo, grandadillo, hachinal, hanchinl, hanchinol, hanchinoli, hauchinal, hauchinol, hauchinoli, heimia, herva de la vida (Portuguese, "herb of life"), herva de vida, hierba de San Francisco (Spanish, "herb of St.Francis"), hierba jonequil, huachinal, huauchinolli (Nahuatl, "burning of the wood), jara, jara negra, jarilla, jarrila, ko'Bi la'wo, maajaji lop'om, maan witsiil (Huastec, "Yellow are its flowers"), penaganaq'te, quiebra arado, quiebra yugo, rosilla de Puebla (Spanish, "Little rose of Puebla"), sinicuiche, sinicuichi, sinicuil, sinicuilche, sinicuitl. to:la'-gaik, witlat lek'e, xonecuili, xonecuite, xoneculli, xoneguilchi, xonochilli, xonocuili (Nahuatl, "twisted food"), yerba de las animas (Spanish, "herb of the spirits")
Taxonomic Position: ---

2. DESCRIPTION

Plant Type: --- Perennial Herb

Morphology: --- The perennial, herbaceous shrub can grow to a height of over 3 meters. It has many wooden branches and narrow, willow-like leaves 2 to 9 cm in length. The yellow flowers (2 cm in diameter) have six petals and are usually arranged in pairs on the leaf axils. The tiny seeds are contained in ribbed fruits that are chalice-like capsules (5 mm in length).

Similarity to Other Species: ---The two other Heimia species are almost identical in appearance and are difficult even for experts to distinguish: Heimia myrtifolia (indigenous to southwest Brazil) and Heimia montana (found throughout Bolivia and Argentina). Heimia myrtifolia grows to a height of only about 1 meter and looks like a dwarf form of Heimia Salicifolia.

3. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY

Geographical Distribution: --- This bush grows primarily in the highlands of Mexico but is also found in Baja California. It is found throughout South America and as far south as Argentina.

Native Habitat: --- N/A

Hardiness and Environmental Requirements: --- It thrives best in warm, dry zones and does not tolerate any frost. In central Europe, it can only be kept as a house plant.

Soil Requirements: --- The plant prefers loose soil that dries quickly after watering.

4. PROPAGATION AND CYCLE

Types of Propagation: --- Propagation occurs through cuttings as well as the tiny seeds.

Seed Germination Notes: --- The seeds are sown in seedbeds or pots. The soil must be of a fine consistency and should be pressed down with a tile and smoothed.  The seeds are broadcast onto the soil and pressed in gently with a flat object. The seeds should then only be moistened with a water sprayer, and not watered by pouring. The soil should be kept slightly moist until the seeds have germinated. The seedlings do not tolerate any direct sunlight. Only when they have dropped their first set of true leaves can they be put in the sun and watered thoroughly. The soil should then be allowed to dry out between waterings. When transplanting, be aware that even very young plants develop a large root system.
Life Cycle: ---

5. HISTORY AND CULTURE---No information is available concerning the prehistoric use of Heimia salicifolia. It is possible that the plant was associated with the cult of Xochipilli, the Aztec god of spring and desire. During the nineteenth century, the plant was a recommended treatment for syphilis.

It often has been incorrectly assumed that the plant was named for the renowned Alsatian mycologist Roger Heim. However, the genus Heimia, which consists of just three species, was actually named for Ernst Ludwig Heim, a physician from Berlin who introduced alexander von Humboldt to botany.

The name sinicuiche is bused both for the plant and for the drink that is prepared from it. The Mexican names sinicuiche and the derivatives sinicuilche and sinicuil are also used for other inebriating, psychoactive, or poisonous plants; Abrus precatorius L., Rhynchosia spp., Piscadia spp., and Erythrina spp..

Calderon (1896) was the first to describe Heimia salicifolia as the source of a psychoactive preparation. He noted the optical effects (yellow vision) and the acoustical phenomena that occur following  ingestion of the leaves. However, he did not experience any of these effects in self experiments using 5, 10, and 15 grams of leaves. Caldron appears to have produced a morphogenetic field that still exerts itself and continues to develop today. Victor Reko contributed greatly to this reputation with his dramatic description of a "magical drink that causes oblivion".

6. PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS

Documented properties: ---

Parts of the plant with therapeutic/psychoactive value: ---
-Leaves
-Herbage/branch tips

Phytochemical Information: --- The bush contains the quinolizidine alkaloids lythrine, cryogenine (=vertine), heimine, sinicuichine, anelisine, heimidine, lyfoline, dehydrodecodine, abresoline, demethyllasubine-I and -II, epidemethoxyabresoline, sinine, lythridine, vesolidine, and cryofoline. Cryogenine, the main alkaloid, has anticholinergic and antispasmodic effects. The four Lythraceae alkaloids that have been studied are vertine (=cryogenine), lyfoline, lythrine, and nesodine. The biological precursor of vertine is phenylalanine.

The leaves contain 15% tannins, 9% bitter agents, and 14% resins. The root and seeds are devoid of alkaloids.

6. REFERENCES AND CITATIONS

STS Threads with Information: ---

External Links: ---
http://worldseedsupply.org/blog/?tag=growing-sinicuichi-from-seed
http://www.botanicalspirit.com/sinicuichi-seed-growing-information
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/6446503
http://www.visionaryplants.com/sinicuichi_live_plant.htm

Citation Sources: ---
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants, Ethnopharmacology and its Applications
by Christian Ratsch
Pages 266-268