Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Seeds (Argyreia nervosa)

Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Seeds (Argyreia nervosa)

Price for Package of 5 seeds.

Argyreia nervosa is a perennial climbing vine that is native to the Indian subcontinent and introduced to numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa, and the Caribbean. Though it can be invasive, it is often prized for its aesthetic value. Common names include Hawaiian Baby Woodrose, Adhoguda अधोगुडा or Vidhara विधारा (Sanskrit), Elephant Creeper and Woolly Morning Glory. There are two botanical varieties: Argyreia nervosavar. nervosa described here, and Argyrea nervosa var. speciosa, a species used in ayurvedic medicine, but with little to no psychoactive value.

Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds may be consumed for their various ergoline alkaloids, such as Lysergic acid amide, which can produce psychedelic effects.

History

The plant is a rare example of a plant whose hallucinogenic properties were not recognized until recent times. While its cousins in the Convolvulaceae family, such as the Rivea corymbosa (Ololiuhqui) and Ipomoea tricolor (Tlitliltzin), were used in shamanic rituals of Latin America for centuries, the Hawaiian Baby Woodrose was not traditionally recognized as a hallucinogen. Its properties were first brought to attention in the 1960s, despite the fact that the chemical composition of its seeds is nearly identical to those of the two species mentioned above, and the seeds contain the highest concentration of psychoactive compounds in the entire family.

Seeds

In most countries, it is legal to purchase, sell or germinate Argyreia nervosa seeds, but they are generally unapproved for human consumption. Depending on the country, it may be illegal to buy seeds with the intention to consume them, and several countries have outlawed ergine-containing seeds altogether. In Australia, retailers are required to treat their seeds with chemicals to discourage consumption, and it is illegal to buy or possess untreated seeds.

Extracted chemicals

Extracting ergine from Argyreia speciosa seeds is illegal in the USA since it is a scheduled substance. It is classified as a schedule III depressant by the DEA, although the substance has hallucinogenic/psychedelic properties.

Extracts

In an animal model of ulcers in rats, large doses of the extract of Argyreia speciosa leaves (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight) showed dose-dependent antiulcer activity and cured the Ulcers.