Wild Syrian Rue: Cultural Lore, Historical Uses and Cultivation Information:
|
Rue Photo Gallery:
|
|
Traditional Cultural Use:
AKA Esphand, African rue, harmel, wild rue, Syrian rue. Rue has been used in native shaman brews as an MAOI, in Persian cooking as a seasoning, as the source for a plant-based yellow or red dye (traditional Persian Red), as a natural incense to ward off evil spirits and bless newlyweds, during Sufi prayers, in Jewish customs, and even more. In Turkey, dried parts of this plant are strung and hung in homes or vehicles to protect against "the evil eye." It is widely used for protection against the Jinn, or evil spirits, in Morocco and Northern Africa. It is also used in India in the region of Kashmir, where the seeds are ignited in charcoal fire pots to ward off evil on occasions such as traditional marriages.
In Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, dried rue seeds are traditionally placed onto pieces of red-hot charcoal. They eventually explode with little popping noises, releasing a fragrant smoke that is wafted around the head of those afflicted by, or exposed to, the gaze of strangers. As this is done, an ancient prayer is recited. This prayer is said by Bukharian Jews, Muslims, and Zoroastrians alike. This Persian practice dates to pre-Islamic, ancient Zoroastrian times. In Iran, this ritual is sometimes performed in Persian restaurants, where customers are typically exposed to the "eyes of strangers."
Traditional Medicinal Use:
The ripe seeds contain 3.8 – 5.9% active alkaloids, mostly harmine (which is anti-parasitic), harmaline, harmalol, tetrahydroharmine and peganine, and some quinazoline derivatives such as vasicine (which kills leishmaniasis) and vasicinone.
In the past, rue was used medicinally for the treatment of stomach complaints, urinary and sexual disorders, epilepsy, menstrual problems, pain, skin cancer, mental and nervous illnesses, fever, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, and expelling tapeworms and lice. It was also used as an aphrodisiac. Rue has antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-mutagenic and anti-mold properties. In Iranian traditional medicine, the plant is still used for plumbago, asthma, colic and jaundice, as well as for menstrual problems.
Perennial plant; Height: Up to 30 cm; Flower color: White; Flowering time: June through August, or spring and fall in harsh deserts.
The species is hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs). Rue can grow to about two feet tall, but normally is about a foot tall. The roots of the plant can reach a depth of almost 20 feet if it is growing in dry soil. The flowers are white and about 2.5–3.8 cm in diameter. The round seed capsules measure about 1–1.5 cm in diameter, contain three chambers and carry more than 50 seeds each.
Peganum harmala was first planted in the United States in 1928 in New Mexico by a farmer wanting to make Persian Red dye from this plant. Tends to take over dry areas, such as northern Africa, Persia, Afghanistan, and the American Southwest. Highly invasive and designated a "noxious weed" in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon.
Family: Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop family)
Genus: Peganum
Species: harmala
Material used: Seeds
Shaman usage: An acidic extraction of 2-8 grams of seeds is prepared and consumed when used with the root bark of mature mimosa hostilis plants in a traditional South American Jurema formula. Vomiting is typical. Too much may be fatal!
Traditional Usage: 25-250 mg harmine is typically ingested on an empty stomach.
Active Constituents: Harmine, harmaline and harmalol. NOTE: Indole-based alkaloids are found in a number of plants besides Peganum harmala, including Banisteriopsis caapi, Zygophyllum fabago, and Passiflora incarnate.
Chemistry: Harmine - 7-methoxy-1-methyl-9H-pyrido (3,4-b) indole.
Effects: Harmine and related alkaloids are serotonin antagonists, Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants, and reversible MAO inhibitors. Small doses (25-50 mg) act as mild and therapeutic cerebral stimulant, sometimes producing a drowsy or dreamy state for one to two hours.
People often report no reactions at all to taking rue, not even any placebo effects, just a waste of time, money and seeds. People with residual THC in their body often/usually report mild symptoms. If you take rue alone as a feel good drug, expect to feel nothing but disappointment.
Small quantities of harmine stimulate the brain and are said to be therapeutic, but an excess of harmine depresses the CNS and causes more toxic reactions. In other words, small amounts may be medicinal, but too much can be somewhat poisonous, as is typical with many medicinal plants. Most people who try it report no effects.
Contraindications: Harmine is a reversible MAO Inhibitor. It should not be used with alcohol or certain foods and drugs. Consult a medical professional. Large amounts may depress the CNS. Since individual sensitivity varies, this may occur with only 250-750mg of the plant.
Notes on other harmala alkaloids:
Syrian rue seeds have been used ritually and medicinally in Central Asia and the Middle East for probably a few millennia due to their unique ability to block the transmission of monoamine oxidase. The MAOI factor is utilized commercially in many current pharmaceutical anti-depressant formulas, thus giving rue potential medicinal value.
Cultivation Tips:
Rue seeds germinate fairly reliably by scattering them thinly over the surface of normal, moist soil mix and tamping them in lightly. Keep in filtered sun and maintain moisture until sprouted. It prefers well-drained, sandy soils, but does well in many diverse conditions. Full sun. Best soil mix: half cactus mix and half coarse sand. Soil mixes can be as much as 90% sharp sand and gravel. Prefers dry, sandy desert locations; it primarily spreads by branching roots in spite of intense seed production. Likes alkaline, clay soils but is not restricted to them. Considered invasive in some areas of the USA Southwest, including California. Deep roots make eradication difficult. However, I have looked for this plant all over the Southwest and much of California, and I have never seen a single wild plant. Still hoping to find a patch of this supposedly 'invasive' plant and harvest the seeds.
Heavy seed producer, sometimes seeding in spring and then again in fall. Dies down in summer in extreme desert conditions (120F) such as in Death Valley, CA, re-sprouting in cooler fall weather. Thrives in a garden only with well drained, sandy soil. Tolerates both alkaline and saline soils. Seeds will sprout fairly easily in sandy soil with heat. Do not over-water! Tolerates harsh cold to about -20 F, so will grow just about anywhere in the continental USA. Temperatures for germination should be kept warm, definitely above 60F, preferably 80F to 85F. Prefers the Southwestern deserts of the USA.
Very drought tolerant. Deep roots make it hard to eradicate once established. When the little plant sprout is only one inch tall, it will already have roots 15 inches deep! Hence, they are poor candidates for transplanting.
© Copyright 2011-2024, Shaman Don, White Buffalo Trading. All rights reserved.
AKA Esphand, African rue, harmel, wild rue, Syrian rue. Rue has been used in native shaman brews as an MAOI, in Persian cooking as a seasoning, as the source for a plant-based yellow or red dye (traditional Persian Red), as a natural incense to ward off evil spirits and bless newlyweds, during Sufi prayers, in Jewish customs, and even more. In Turkey, dried parts of this plant are strung and hung in homes or vehicles to protect against "the evil eye." It is widely used for protection against the Jinn, or evil spirits, in Morocco and Northern Africa. It is also used in India in the region of Kashmir, where the seeds are ignited in charcoal fire pots to ward off evil on occasions such as traditional marriages.
In Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, dried rue seeds are traditionally placed onto pieces of red-hot charcoal. They eventually explode with little popping noises, releasing a fragrant smoke that is wafted around the head of those afflicted by, or exposed to, the gaze of strangers. As this is done, an ancient prayer is recited. This prayer is said by Bukharian Jews, Muslims, and Zoroastrians alike. This Persian practice dates to pre-Islamic, ancient Zoroastrian times. In Iran, this ritual is sometimes performed in Persian restaurants, where customers are typically exposed to the "eyes of strangers."
Traditional Medicinal Use:
The ripe seeds contain 3.8 – 5.9% active alkaloids, mostly harmine (which is anti-parasitic), harmaline, harmalol, tetrahydroharmine and peganine, and some quinazoline derivatives such as vasicine (which kills leishmaniasis) and vasicinone.
In the past, rue was used medicinally for the treatment of stomach complaints, urinary and sexual disorders, epilepsy, menstrual problems, pain, skin cancer, mental and nervous illnesses, fever, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, and expelling tapeworms and lice. It was also used as an aphrodisiac. Rue has antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-mutagenic and anti-mold properties. In Iranian traditional medicine, the plant is still used for plumbago, asthma, colic and jaundice, as well as for menstrual problems.
Perennial plant; Height: Up to 30 cm; Flower color: White; Flowering time: June through August, or spring and fall in harsh deserts.
The species is hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs). Rue can grow to about two feet tall, but normally is about a foot tall. The roots of the plant can reach a depth of almost 20 feet if it is growing in dry soil. The flowers are white and about 2.5–3.8 cm in diameter. The round seed capsules measure about 1–1.5 cm in diameter, contain three chambers and carry more than 50 seeds each.
Peganum harmala was first planted in the United States in 1928 in New Mexico by a farmer wanting to make Persian Red dye from this plant. Tends to take over dry areas, such as northern Africa, Persia, Afghanistan, and the American Southwest. Highly invasive and designated a "noxious weed" in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon.
Family: Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop family)
Genus: Peganum
Species: harmala
Material used: Seeds
Shaman usage: An acidic extraction of 2-8 grams of seeds is prepared and consumed when used with the root bark of mature mimosa hostilis plants in a traditional South American Jurema formula. Vomiting is typical. Too much may be fatal!
Traditional Usage: 25-250 mg harmine is typically ingested on an empty stomach.
Active Constituents: Harmine, harmaline and harmalol. NOTE: Indole-based alkaloids are found in a number of plants besides Peganum harmala, including Banisteriopsis caapi, Zygophyllum fabago, and Passiflora incarnate.
Chemistry: Harmine - 7-methoxy-1-methyl-9H-pyrido (3,4-b) indole.
Effects: Harmine and related alkaloids are serotonin antagonists, Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants, and reversible MAO inhibitors. Small doses (25-50 mg) act as mild and therapeutic cerebral stimulant, sometimes producing a drowsy or dreamy state for one to two hours.
People often report no reactions at all to taking rue, not even any placebo effects, just a waste of time, money and seeds. People with residual THC in their body often/usually report mild symptoms. If you take rue alone as a feel good drug, expect to feel nothing but disappointment.
Small quantities of harmine stimulate the brain and are said to be therapeutic, but an excess of harmine depresses the CNS and causes more toxic reactions. In other words, small amounts may be medicinal, but too much can be somewhat poisonous, as is typical with many medicinal plants. Most people who try it report no effects.
Contraindications: Harmine is a reversible MAO Inhibitor. It should not be used with alcohol or certain foods and drugs. Consult a medical professional. Large amounts may depress the CNS. Since individual sensitivity varies, this may occur with only 250-750mg of the plant.
Notes on other harmala alkaloids:
- Different harmala alkaloids vary in potency. The equivalent of 100 mg harmine is: 50 mg harmaline, 35 mg tetrahydraharman, 25 mg harmalol or harmol, 4 mg methoxyharmalan.
- Harmal alkaloids are synergistic (mutually potentiating) and are therefore most effective when combined in an appropriate balance.
- Tropines (belladonna-like alkaloids) also potentiate harmals.
- Harmol and harmalol (phenols) in overdoses can cause progressive CNS paralysis.
Syrian rue seeds have been used ritually and medicinally in Central Asia and the Middle East for probably a few millennia due to their unique ability to block the transmission of monoamine oxidase. The MAOI factor is utilized commercially in many current pharmaceutical anti-depressant formulas, thus giving rue potential medicinal value.
Cultivation Tips:
Rue seeds germinate fairly reliably by scattering them thinly over the surface of normal, moist soil mix and tamping them in lightly. Keep in filtered sun and maintain moisture until sprouted. It prefers well-drained, sandy soils, but does well in many diverse conditions. Full sun. Best soil mix: half cactus mix and half coarse sand. Soil mixes can be as much as 90% sharp sand and gravel. Prefers dry, sandy desert locations; it primarily spreads by branching roots in spite of intense seed production. Likes alkaline, clay soils but is not restricted to them. Considered invasive in some areas of the USA Southwest, including California. Deep roots make eradication difficult. However, I have looked for this plant all over the Southwest and much of California, and I have never seen a single wild plant. Still hoping to find a patch of this supposedly 'invasive' plant and harvest the seeds.
Heavy seed producer, sometimes seeding in spring and then again in fall. Dies down in summer in extreme desert conditions (120F) such as in Death Valley, CA, re-sprouting in cooler fall weather. Thrives in a garden only with well drained, sandy soil. Tolerates both alkaline and saline soils. Seeds will sprout fairly easily in sandy soil with heat. Do not over-water! Tolerates harsh cold to about -20 F, so will grow just about anywhere in the continental USA. Temperatures for germination should be kept warm, definitely above 60F, preferably 80F to 85F. Prefers the Southwestern deserts of the USA.
Very drought tolerant. Deep roots make it hard to eradicate once established. When the little plant sprout is only one inch tall, it will already have roots 15 inches deep! Hence, they are poor candidates for transplanting.
© Copyright 2011-2024, Shaman Don, White Buffalo Trading. All rights reserved.