Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom), a member of the Coffee family, is widely used in its native Thailand where it has been made illegal. Over 25 alkaloids have been isolated from kratom that share some similar activity with yohimbine and opiates. The primary alkaloid, once thought to be matragynine, is 7-hydroxymitragyne and acts as an mu receptor agonist effectively alleviating opiate withdrawal. In Malaysia it has been used to treat opiate addiction since the 1800′s. Kratom has been used to prolong sexual intercourse and has immunostimulant activity similiar to cats claw. Kratom is a complex and unique ethnobotanical that will prove to be of great importance to the future of phytopharmacology.

Morning Glories are an annual vine with ovate, deeply cordate leaves 3-4 inches long and 3/4-3 inches wide. The trumpet-shaped Morning Glory flowers vary from white to red, purple, blue, or violet-blue. The ovoid fruit is about 1/2 inch in length and bears elongate, angular black seeds. Ipomoea is used in Oaxaca and southern Mexico.It is commonly refered to as Tlililtzin. It is thought to be one of the principal entheogens used for divination, magico-religous, and curing rituals.

This is the legendary, rare and powerfully mysterious Sonoran Desert Toad. This venomous  toad finds its home in the Sonoran desert of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico.   

Bufo alvarius is nocturnal and escapes the tremendous desert heat by remaining underground, emerging at night to congregate in wet areas near streams and lakes and irrigated fields.

The Sonoran Desert Toad is the largest North American toad, attaining a body length of up to 7 inches. They are smooth and leathery in appearance. Brown to olive green in color with a white underside. Bufo alvarius live approximately 15 years.

Our ancestors must surely have been intrigued by the Amanita muscaria–they appeared magically from nowhere, in strange and beautiful shapes and colors and gave magical visions of the beyond when eaten. Today Amanita muscaria mushrooms are widely known: the Alice in Wonderland mushrooms, the fairytale mushrooms regularly seen in fairy tale books. Yet most people aren’t aware that they are, in fact, real. A must have addition to any ethnobotanical collection. We offer Amanita muscaria mushrooms harvested from the following locations:

Carnegia gigantea (Saguaro) are found only in the Sonoran desert. Full- grown Saguaros are the kings of the desert with many very thick branches and reaching heights of 50 feet. Endangered: it has been protected within Saguaro National Park since 1933.

Hoodia gordonii has gained a lot of attention recently, appearing on 60 Minutes and in countless newspaper and magazing articles for it’s potential as a diet aid. It has been used in Africa for centuries to suppress hunger during famine, while keeping energy up.

Epithelantha bokei (Boke’s Button Cactus, Living Rocks) These rare and obscure “Living Rock” cacti are a must have for the cactus enthusiast. The Boke’s Button is very resistant to drought and does well in full sun. We have a limited quantity of these phenomenal 1-2” buttons.

Ariocarpus fissuratus (Living Rock, Hikuli, False Peyote)
These extremely rare and slow-growing cacti are fractally aesthetic to the eye. Highly revered by the Tarahumara, this cactus is equally as beautiful as it is unique. Respected as much as the little deer, a four inch button can take up to 80 years to grow in the wild! Our 2 to 3 inch Ariocarpus fissuratus cacti are about 15-years-old and the 3 to 4 inch Living Rocks are 20 to 25-years-old.
Trichocereus pachanoi (San Pedro Cactus) has been in use as a shamanic catalyst since the very beginning of Andean Civilization. It has been cultivated on the Peruvian coast since 200 b.c.e. to 600 c.e. In Pre-Hispanic times, San Pedro played a ritual role in oracles, sexual magic and shamanism. It is still used by Peruvian Curenderos today during their mesa rituals.

Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom), a member of the Coffee family, is widely used in its native Thailand where it has been made illegal. Over 25 alkaloids have been isolated from kratom that share some similar activity with yohimbine and opiates. The primary alkaloid, once thought to be matragynine, is 7-hydroxymitragyne and acts as an mu receptor agonist effectively alleviating opiate withdrawal. In Malaysia it has been used to treat opiate addiction since the 1800′s. Kratom has been used to prolong sexual intercourse and has immunostimulant activity similiar to cats claw. Kratom is a complex and unique ethnobotanical that will prove to be of great importance to the future of phytopharmacology.

http://www.bouncingbearbotanicals.com/ethnobotanicals-kratom-c-60_91.html

Ahh… The elusive and mysterious Mandrake root. A native of Southern Europe, the roots of Mandrake were supposed to bear a resemblance to the human form, on account of their habit of forking into two and shooting “arms” on each side. In the old herbals we find them frequently figured as a male with a long beard, and a female with a very bushy head of hair.

Many weird superstitions collected around the Mandrake root. As an amulet, it was once placed on mantelpieces to avert misfortune and to bring prosperity and happiness to the house. It was also once believed that the Mandrake root would kill anybody that pulled it up, so harvesting the roots would be done very carefully on a dark night, usually by tying a rope around the base of the plant, hooking the other end of the rope to a goat and then making the goat run to pull up that plant. In this way, even if it wasn’t dark enough and the Mandrake was able to see who pulled it up, it would “only” result in the loss of the life of a goat, rather than the death of the person.

Nowadays, whole mandrake roots are pretty much impossible to find. But, although rare, the seeds are sometime available, from which whole roots can be grown with a bit of care.

Cultivation and Propagation: The Mandragora officinarum is hardy. It likes a light, deep soil, as the roots run far down. They will do poorly in a soil that is chalky or excessively gravelly. If the soil is too wet in winter, the roots will rot. It is propagated from seeds which should be sown in deep flats or, better, singly in pots. These should be kept well watered and when they reach a good size they should be carefully set out at least 2 feet apart.

Mandragora officinarum are tender perennials that cannot withstand frost and must be wintered indoors in cold climates.

Harvesting: The roots should be dug after the second or third year (at your own or your goats risk). If left in the ground they will grow to a great size, and will have large branching roots up to four feet long.

Note: Do not confuse this Old World mandrake with the American mandrake ( Podophyllum peltatum ) whose roots are sold by many herb companies under the name “Mandrake roots.” These roots are a powerful cathartic poison. The plants are unmistakably different.