Body System Affiliations:
1. Nervous System
2. Digestive System (especially gastrointestinal)
Botanical
Description:
Habit: Shrub
Size: Averages 1.5 meters tall
Arrangement: Opposite
Leaves: Small oval-shaped leaves with serrated borders, and acute
endings. Usually 3-5
cm long and 2-4 cm wide. (Contreras)
Flowers: Yellow
Fruit: None Found
Ecology:
Habitat: Dry savannas and canyons
Range: Central
Mexican highlands to
Native Where: Central
Mexican highlands and
Western
(European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Food: C. zacatechichi can be consumed in order to achieve mild euphoria, mental clarity, and
vivid lucid dreaming.
Materials/Technology: C. zacatechichi can be mixed with other Compositae in order to make an insecticide.
Medicine: Not traditionally used in
Western-medicine
Part Used: Stem, leaves,
and flower.
Medicinal Actions: C. zacatechichi can act as an appetizer, cathartic, cholagogue, antidysenteric, or febrifuge.
Indications: Dysentery, fever, constipation, and gastrointestinal pain.
Body System Associations: Nervous system and digestive system
Constituents: Acacetin, Calaxin, Calein A and B, caleocromene A and B, ciliarin o-methyl acacetin, zexbrevin, and Germacranolides; 1B-acetoxy zacatechinolide and l-oxo zacatechinolide. C. zacatechichi also contains several analogues of budlein A and neurolenin B (Contreras).
Applications: C. zacatechichi can be taken via an infusion, gel-capsule,
or by smoking. The strength of C. zacatechichi can be increased by making extracts and resins that are then applied to teas,
gel-caps, and sometimes smoking blends.
Preparation:
Tea: Simmer three grams of C. zacatechichi in water for about 15 minutes, and then add any sweetener to mask the bitter taste. (Davion)
Note: Do not add citrus!
Gel-capsule: Insert one gram of dried C. zacatechichi into two capsules and take orally thirty minutes before bed (Davion).
Smoking: Smoke one or two cigarettes of dried C. zacatechichi leaves and flowers.
NOTE: The extract and resin can be consumed
in the same way as the dried material, but is significantly stronger. Reduce gram dosage to reflect increase in potency.
Extract: In order to make an extract soak C. zacatechichi in a 50% water 50% alcohol (100 proof) solution for one week shaking the solution once daily. The solution should be made up of two parts alcohol solution and one part C. zacatechichi. After one week strain and pour the solution into a pan and allow the alcohol to evaporate. (Davion)
Resin: Mix 2 parts 190 proof (95%) alcohol with one part C. zacatechichi in a sealed jar. Let the solution sit for three days then strain it in cheesecloth, pour it into a tray, and let the alcohol evaporate. (Davion)
Pharmacy: Take any preparation of C. zacatechichi once a day, or as needed
when indications are exhibited. Traditionally the tea was consumed before bed and then one or two
cigarettes of C. zacatechichi were smoked in seclusion before sleep.
Cautions: Extremely bitter taste of C. zacatechichi may cause nausea and possibly vomiting when ingested orally and can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Mexican and Chontal Indian Use/Significance/Relationships:
Food: C. zacatechichi can be consumed in order to achieve mild euphoria, mental clarity, and
vivid lucid dreaming.
Materials/Technology: C. zacatechichi can be mixed with other Compositae in order to make an insecticide.
Medicine:
Part Used: Roots,
leaves, stem, and flower.
Medicinal Actions: C. zacatechichi can act as an appetizer, cathartic, cholagogue, antidysenteric, or febrifuge.
Indications: Dysentery,
fever, constipation, and gastrointestinal pain.
Body System Associations: Nervous system and digestive system
Constituents: Acacetin, Calaxin, Calein A and B, caleocromene A and B, ciliarin o-methyl acacetin, zexbrevin, and Germacranolides; 1B-acetoxy zacatechinolide and l-oxo zacatechinolide. C. zacatechichi also contains several analogues of budlein A and neurolenin B. (Contreras)
Applications: C. zacatechichi is traditionally taken via an infusion and
by smoking.
Preparation:
Tea: Simmer three grams of C. zacatechichi in water for about 15 minutes, and then add any sweetener to mask the bitter taste. (Davion)
Note: Do not add citrus!
Smoking: Smoke one or two cigarettes of dried C. zacatechichi leaves and flowers.
Pharmacy: Traditionally the tea was consumed before bed and then two cigarettes of C. zacatechichi were smoked in seclusion before sleep.
Other: C. zacatechichi causes an increase in lucid dreaming and reduces the “jumping around” of
location during dreams, resulting in longer more coherent dreams. Chontal Indians, as
well as many other tribes, used the dreams induced by C. zacatechichi to locate lost loved ones
and determine the source of illnesses.
Cautions: Extremely bitter taste of C. zacatechichi may cause nausea and
possibly vomiting when ingested orally and can cause allergic reactions in some
people.
I could not find any sources proving
information on the propagation of C. zacatechichi
I could not find any
sources proving information on the harvesting of C. zacatechichi, other than that the
whole plant is harvested and can be used.
Personal Experience:
Food: I utilized C. zacatechichi as a dream inducer via tea and cigarette. I experienced very vivid dreams that retained a longer more coherent story then normal. I feel that this effect on my dreams could eventually help me to better understand the purpose or meaning of my dreams.
Materials/Technology: none
Medicine:
Part Used: Leaf, and
flower
Desired Medicinal Actions: I used C. zacatechichi as an analgesic, and as an antipyretic
Targeted Indications: fever and gastrointestinal pain
Procurement:
Source: Iamshaman.com
Condition: Dried
leaf
Cost: $5 per ounce
Other Procurement Information: Resins and extracts of C. zacatechichi are also available for purchase.
Application/Preparation/Pharmacy:
Applications: Tea and gel-capsule
Preparation:
Tea: I simmered three grams of C. zacatechichi in water for about 15 minutes, and then added Rooibos tea and Honey to mask the bitter taste.
Note: Do not add citrus!
Gel-capsule: I inserted one gram of dried C. zacatechichi into two capsules and took them orally once or twice a day.
Pharmacy: I found that taking one of the above preparations once a day was sufficient in relieving my indications. More frequent dosage may be helpful for more severe illness, but may also cause nausea or vomiting.
Reason/Purpose: During this project I unfortunately/fortunately
contracted some sort of flu that resulted in fever, runny nose, irritated
throat, headache, and gastrointestinal pain. I used C. zacatechichi to help alleviate some of
these indications
Experience: I found C. zacatechichi when taken via a gel-capsule is effective in breaking fever. I noticed a reduction in fever but did not feel much alleviated of any of the pain resulting from the fever until much later. The tea helped relieve my gastrointestinal pain, but at the price of slight nausea caused by the taste of the tea.
NOTE: I find that honey and Rooibos are effective in masking the bitter taste of the tea.
Cautions Based on experience: Tastes horrible when ingested orally as an infusion and may cause nausea or vomiting. I didn’t experience any other side effects especially with the gel-capsules
Cautions: The extremely bitter taste of C. zacatechichi may cause nausea and possibly vomiting when ingested orally and can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Drawings, Photographs
or pressings:
References Cited:
1. Contreras, Carlos, Jose-Luis Diaz,
and L. Mayagoitia. "Study on Calea Zacatechichi." Entheology.org. Eleavier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. 11
Feb. 2006 <http://www.entheology.org/edoto/ ppl.tb/studyoncaleazacat-8-10.asp>
2. Davion. “The Beginner's Guide Calea zacatechichi.” Erowid.org. 31 May 2002 <http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=12224>
3. Hofmann, Albert, and Richard E. Schultes. Plants of the Gods.
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