I found an article where they did not find the carcinogenic metabolites in humans that they did in rats which raises questions as to the validity of the results from the study done in the 1950s where safrole was fed to rats at up to 1% of their diet(!) for 150 days to 2 years and they observed weak hepatocarcinogenic effects.
Safrole is also in a lot of other plants and herbs apparently.
I think it’s safe to say more research should be done. Also interesting to note the Cherokee claimed you should pick young, red stemmed plants. White stemmed plants are, so they said, poisonous. I don’t think that’s been investigated scientifically.
Hahaha
I think a lot of wild mushrooms can cause gastronomic distress if not fully cooked, some feel it a lot more than others, maybe the age of mushroom may effect it
Pic for reference
I just discovered monotropa uniflora aka ghost pipe, Indian pipe.
Google says that they grow in my state, I’ve never noticed one.
Tinctures of this plant are said to work well for anxiety. I really want to try it for myself. I found some on Etsy for fairly cheap.
Do any of y’all fungi seekers ever run across Indian pipe? Anyone ever tried it?
those are gorgeous!
and, they’re actually not a fungi, they’re a plant! parasitic in place of using chlorophyll/photosynthesis. it’s a mycoheterotroph, its hosts are fungi that have mycorrhizal relationships with tree roots, so gets its energy from photosynthetic trees via its host fungus. fuckin coooooool (and one of the most beautiful things to find in the forest imo). i’d not heard of usage for anxiety but the wiki article acknowledges it briefly
I find it growing in SE PA. It turns black when you dry it out. I think I read it’s best to make tinctures with fresh material and can sometimes give it a light pink color. I also read it is a mild psychedelic and good for treating pain but it works differently than regular pain killers because it doesn’t block the pain it just makes you okay with it or something. Apparently some dude ate a whole ounce of it and felt nothing. He may of only ate the top of the flower, I don’t remember.
Here is some information I got from https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Monotropa+uniflora
An infusion of the root is antispasmodic, hypnotic, nervine, sedative, tonic[21, 192, 222]. It is a good remedy for spasms, fainting spells and various nervous conditions[207]. It has been given to children who suffer from fits, epilepsy and convulsions[257]. The plant was used by some native North American Indian tribes to treat eye problems, the stem was bruised and the clear fluid of the stems applied to the eyes[213, 257]. The juice from the stems has also been used to treat nervous irritability, including fits and spasms[192]. It has been suggested in the past as a possible opium substitute[192]. An infusion of the leaves has been used to treat colds and fevers[257]. The crushed plant has been rubbed on bunions and warts in order to destroy them[257]. A poultice of the plant has been applied to sores that are difficult to heal[257]. The flowers have been chewed in order to bring relief from toothache[257]. Water extracts of the plant are bactericidal[222].
