''Silene undulata'' ( xh, iindlela zimhlophe—"white ways/paths", also known as ''Silene capensis'', and African dream root) is a plant native to the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Cultivation
In cultivation, ''S. undulata'' is an easily grown, but moisture hungry herb. It is tolerant of
extreme heat
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
, >, and moderate cold, . 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
The Xhosa people, or Xhosa language, Xhosa-speaking people (; ) are African people who are direct kinsmen of Tswana people, Sotho people and Twa people, yet are narrowly sub grouped by European as Nguni people, Nguni ethnic group whose traditi ...
as a
sacred plant. Its root is traditionally used to induce vivid (and according to the Xhosa, prophetic)
lucid dreams
A lucid dream is a type of dream in which the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming while dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, or environment; however, this is n ...
during the initiation process of
shamans
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
, classifying it a naturally occurring
oneirogen
An oneirogen, from the Greek ὄνειρος ''óneiros'' meaning "dream" and ''gen'' "to create", is that which produces or enhances dreamlike states of consciousness. This is characterized by an immersive dream state similar to REM sleep, which ...
similar to the more well-known dream herb ''
Calea zacatechichi''.
References
Further reading
* Jean-Francois Sobiecki: ''Psychoactive Spiritual Medicines and Healing Dynamics in the Initiation Process of Southern Bantu Diviners.'' In: ''Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.'' 44, 2012, S. 216–223, .
* Watt, J.M. & Breyer-Brandwijk, M.J. 1962. The medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa. Second edition. Edinburgh: E. & S. Livingstone.
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q150591
Entheogens
Herbal and fungal hallucinogens
Oneirogens
undulata