Mimosa verrucosa

Mimosa verrucosa
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Mimosa
Species:	M. verrucosa
Binomial name
Mimosa verrucosa Benth.[1]

Mimosa verrucosa, Jurema Branca ("White Juema") or Jurema De Oieras is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree native to Brazil (Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte). It has "near threatened" conservation status as a result of human induced deforestation in arid to semi-arid regions of Brazil.

Growth

The tree grows to about 2.5 to 5 m tall and has blossoms that are pink cylindrical spikes.^[2] The blossom filaments are pink and the anthers are cream colored.^[3]

Uses

The wood of the tree is used for making charcoal, firewood and wooden stakes.^[4] The bark is used for medicine.^[4]

Characteristics

Mimosa verrucosa has been proven to be a very important provider of pollen for Apis mellifera, the European honey bee.^[5]

Chemical constituent

The tree contains the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine in its root bark.^[6]

See also

• Psychedelic plants

References

Notes

1. ^ "Mimosa verrucosa information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?436952. Retrieved 2008-04-05. 
2. ^ "Specimen Details :: Virtual Herbarium :: NYBG.org". sweetgum.nybg.org. http://sweetgum.nybg.org/vh/specimen.php?irn=220177. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
3. ^ "Specimen Details :: Virtual Herbarium :: NYBG.org". sweetgum.nybg.org. http://sweetgum.nybg.org/vh/specimen.php?irn=1017642. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Americas CITES Trees
5. ^ "Bragantia - Pollen spectrum of samples of Apis mellifera L., honey collected in Bahia State, Brazil". www.scielo.br. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0006-87052000000100002. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
6. ^ UNODC Bulletin on Narcotics 1969

General references

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Mimosa verrucosa. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 July 2007.

External links

• Mimosa verrucosa herbarium specimen (NY Botanical Gardens): [1][2]