Hawaiian baby woodrose

Hawaiian Baby Woodrose (Argyreia nervosa), not to be confused with the Hawaiian woodrose (Merremia tuberosa), is a perennial climbing vine, also known as Elephant Creeper and Woolly Morning Glory. Native to the Indian subcontinent and introduced to numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa and the Caribbean, it can be invasive, although is often prized for its aesthetic value. There are two botanical varieties. Argyreia Nervosa var nervosa described here, and Argyrea nervosa var speciosa, as species used in ayurveda, but with little to no psychoactive value.

Hawaiin Baby Woodrose seeds may be consumed for their various lysergamide alkaloids, such as ergine, which can produce psychedelic effects.

The plant is a rare example of a plant whose hallucinogenic properties have only recently been discovered by non-Hawaiians. 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.

Traditional use of the var. speciosa plant in India usually employed the leaves and roots of the plants, which are not psychoactive, as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_baby_woodrose
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