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Silene undulata

Species of plant

Species of plant

  • Melandrium undulatum (Ait.) Rohrb.

Silene undulata (—"white ways/paths", also known as Silene capensis, and African dream root) is a plant native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Cultivation

In cultivation, S. undulata is an easily grown, but moisture hungry herb. It is tolerant of extreme heat, 40 C, and moderate cold, -5 C. A moisture retentive seedbed is essential. The fragrant flowers open at night and close in the day. It is a biennial to short lived perennial and the root can be harvested after the second year.

Uses

Silene undulata is regarded by the Xhosa people as a sacred plant. Its root is traditionally used to induce vivid (and according to the Xhosa, prophetic) lucid dreams during the initiation process of traditional healers, classifying it a naturally occurring oneirogen similar to the more well-known dream herb Calea zacatechichi.

Constituents

Silene undulata has been found to contain β-carbolines such as norharman, harmalol, and harmaline, and harmine, as well as ibogaine. In addition, these constituents were predicted to act as serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists. These components, and in turn serotonin 5-HT2A receptor activation, may be involved in the psychoactive effects of Silene undulata.

References

References

  1. J. F. Sobiecki. (2008). "A review of plants used in divination in southern Africa and their psychoactive effects". Southern African Humanities.
  2. (2018). "The Experience Elicited by Hallucinogens Presents the Highest Similarity to Dreaming within a Large Database of Psychoactive Substance Reports". [[Frontiers in Neuroscience]].
  3. (2025). "Potential Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Agonist of Psychoactive Components of Silene undulata Aiton: LC-MS/MS, ADMET, and Molecular Docking Studies". Curr Pharm Biotechnol.
  4. H. Wild: ''Caryophyllaceae'' in ''Flora Zambesiaca'', Vol. 1, Pt 2, 1961: [http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.692.6647&rep=rep1&type=pdf ''Silene undulata'' - Online]
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entheogens herbal-and-fungal-hallucinogens oneirogens silene
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