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Salvia divinorum

Revision as of 22:07, 19 September 2008 by Raffi (talk | contribs) (changed focus to plant itself, not uses)


Three well established Salvia divinorum plants.


Plant Characteristics
Lifespan: ⌛ [[Lifespan::Tender perennial]]
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ Partial sun"Partial sun" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property., Indoors"Indoors" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ regular"regular" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Features: ✓ Lush growth"Lush growth" is not in the list (evergreen, deciduous, flowers, fragrance, edible, fruit, naturalizes, invasive, foliage, birds, ...) of allowed values for the "Features" property., hallucenogin"Hallucenogin" is not in the list (evergreen, deciduous, flowers, fragrance, edible, fruit, naturalizes, invasive, foliage, birds, ...) of allowed values for the "Features" property.
Scientific Names



Salvia divinorum, also known as Diviner's Sage,[1] Magic Mint,[1] María Pastora,[2] Sally D, Sage of the Seers, or simply Salvia (although the genus name is shared among many plants), is a powerful psychoactive plant, a member of the sage genus and the Lamiaceae (mint) family.[3] It has long been used as an entheogen by the indigenous Mazatec shamans for healing during spirit journeys.[4] The plant is found in isolated, shaded and moist plots in Oaxaca, Mexico.[4] It is thought to be a cultigen.[5]

The Latin name Salvia divinorum literally translates to "sage of the seers".[6] The genus name Salvia is derived from the Latin salvare, meaning "to heal" or "to save".[7]

The primary psychoactive constituent is a diterpenoid known as salvinorin A.[8][9]

Cultivation

Propagation

Unlike other species of salvia, Salvia divinorum produces few seeds, and those seldom germinate. For an unknown reason, pollen fertility is reduced. There is no active pollen tube inhibition within the style, but some event or process after the pollen tube reaches the ovary is aberrant.[10] Partial sterility is often suggestive of a hybrid origin, although no species have been recognized as possible parent species. The ability to grow indistinguishable plants from seeds produced by self pollination also weakens the hybrid theory of origin, instead implying inbreeding depression, or an undiscovered incompatibility mechanism. The plant is mainly propagated by cuttings or layering. Although isolated strands of S. divinorum exist, these are thought to have been purposely created and tended by the Mazatec people. For this reason, it is considered a true cultigen, not occurring in a wild state.[5]

All known specimens are clones from a small number of collected plants. Two strains are in major circulation: the Wasson/Hofmann strain, obtained upon request from a Mazatec shaman in Oaxaca in 1962, and the Blosser ('Palatable') strain, obtained around 1980. The Palatable strain is said to have a more acceptable taste than the Wasson/Hofmann strain, although most reports suggest that there is little difference.

Additional commercial strains are in circulation, but all seem to be similar in potency, effect, and growth. The numerous different names have more to do with marketing than with the formal identification of botanically distinct strains.

Pests and diseases

Uses

History

Taxonomy

Scientific classification
Domain: {{{domain}}}
Superkingdom: {{{superregnum}}}
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: {{{subregnum}}}
Superdivision: {{{superdivisio}}}
Superphylum: {{{superphylum}}}
Division: Magnoliophyta
Phylum: {{{phylum}}}
Subdivision: {{{subdivisio}}}
Subphylum: {{{subphylum}}}
Infraphylum: {{{infraphylum}}}
Microphylum: {{{microphylum}}}
Nanophylum: {{{nanophylum}}}
Superclass: {{{superclassis}}}
Class: Magnoliopsida
Sublass: {{{subclassis}}}
Infraclass: {{{infraclassis}}}
Superorder: {{{superordo}}}
Order: Lamiales
Suborder: {{{subordo}}}
Infraorder: {{{infraordo}}}
Superfamily: {{{superfamilia}}}
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: {{{subfamilia}}}
Supertribe: {{{supertribus}}}
Tribe: {{{tribus}}}
Subtribe: {{{subtribus}}}
Genus: Salvia
Subgenus: {{{subgenus}}}
Section: {{{sectio}}}
Series: {{{series}}}
Species: S. divinorum
Subspecies: {{{subspecies}}}
[[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]]
{{{diversity}}}
Binomial name
Salvia divinorum
Epling & Játiva[11]
Trinomial name
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Type Species
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[[Image:{{{range_map}}}|{{{range_map_width}}}|]]
Synonyms
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History

Salvia divinorum was first found in Oaxaca Mexico where it is used by the Mazatec Indians to facilitate visions and to treat diarrhea, headaches, and a magical disease called panzon de borrego, otherwise known as swollen belly. It was first recorded in print by Jean Basset Johnson in 1939 as he was studying Mazatec shamanism.[12] He later documented its usage and reported its effects through personal testimonials.[13] It was not until the 1990s that the psychoactive mechanism was identified by a team led by Daniel Siebert.[14]

 
Flowering Salvia divinorum

The history of the plant is not known, but there are three possibilities as to its origin. Since it is found in one small area and only one indigenous group uses it, it is either native to this area, is a cultigen of the Mazatecs, or is a cultigen of another indigenous group.[6] Wasson theorized that this plant was the mythological pipilzintzintli, the "Noble Prince" of the Aztec codices.[2] However, this theory is not without dispute. The Aztecs were extremely knowledgeable in plant identification, and their records report that pipilzintzintli has both male and female varieties. Salvia divinorum, however, is monoecious, meaning it produces flowers of both sexes on a single plant. Skeptics of this theory report that the Aztecs would have known the difference between male and female flowers. Wasson gains validity, however, as a number of Aztec historical accounts classify plants as male or female in a metaphorical, rather than botanically anatomical manner.

Distribution and habitat

External links

Botany

Law

Forums

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Template:Harvnb.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:Harvnb.
  3. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:Harvnb.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:Harvnb.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Template:Harvnb.
  7. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  8. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  9. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  10. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  11. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  12. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  13. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
  14. ↑ Template:Harvnb.
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