For knowledge of mine and people with me,I need this help from ourscientific community.Long back,my teacher Late Prof K S Bhargava took coloured photos of sacred plants of India for his proposed book entitled 'Sacred plants of India.But, unfortunately he expired and thereafter we have no information about his write-up.
To my knowledge,Plants in Bibles and Plants in Holy Quran have been published.Plants of many Sacred Groves are also available in literature.
In my opinion ,this procedure of linking plants with human faith,has been the most effective way of plant conservation
In India most sacred plants are Tulsi and Peepal. Tulsi is the medicinal plant and Peepal gives oxygen all the times.
Hi Dear Srivastava
1. Alhagi maurorum
2. Phoenix dactylifera
3. Olea europaea
4. Punica granatum
5. Ficus carica
6. Cedrus libani
7. Tamrix aphylla
8. Salvadora persica
9. Cinnamomum camphora
10. Zingiber officinale
11. Lens culinaris
12. Allium cepa
13. Allium sativa
14. Cucumber
15. Acacia species
16. Lagenaria siceraia
17. Mustard
18. Basil
19. Euphorbia resinifera
Dear Dr. Srivastava Sir,
There are large number of plants worshiped in India. Some important ones include Prosopis cineraria, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus religiosa, Mangifera indica, Azadirachta indica, Cyanodon dactylon, Aegle marmelos, Calotropis procera, Calotropis gigantea, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Cannabis sativa, Nelumbo nucifera, Phyllanthus emblica, Senegalia catechu, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis and Saraca asoca.
Please have a look at these useful links for more details.
http://www.tropicalplantresearch.com/archives/2016/vol3issue1/17.pdf
http://www.ijplsjournal.com/issues%20PDF%20files/august-2013/10.pdf
http://www.sciencepub.net/academia/aa0206/04_2492_aa0206_19_22.pdf
Article Cannabis: the forgotten sacred plant of India
Article Sacred Plants of West Bengal
Article Sacred groves and sacred plants of the Dimasas of North Cach...
Article STUDY OF SACRED PLANTS USED BY PEOPLE IN FATEHPUR DISTRICT O...
Article Study of some Sacred plants of Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Article Diversity, distribution pattern and traditional knowledge of...
Article Veneration of Plants in Tamil Tradition
Article Medicinal potential of some mythologically important plants ...
Good luck!
Thank u Dr Mehdi
Have enlisted these plants as of Indian Sacred plants?Can u pl provide some details as to : considered sacred by whom and of which country .Huge number of plants are considered sacred by diffrent ethnic communities in many parts of the world including India
Dear Dr. Srivastava Sir,
Please also have a look at these useful links.
Article Study on traditional worshiping plants in Hindu religion fro...
Conference Paper WORSHIP OF EUPHORBIA NERIIFOLIA LINN. (FAMILY: EUPHORBIACEAE...
Article EVALUATION OF PLANTS IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY, FESTIVALS AND RITUA...
http://www.fao.org/tempref/docrep/fao/005/y9882e/y9882e09.pdf.
Article A Voyage in the World of Plants as Mentioned in the Holy Quran
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/52374/8/08_chapter%202.pdf
Article PLANTS OF HOLY BIBLE AND ITS USAGE IN AYURVEDA
Article Ritual plants of Muslim graveyards in northern Israel
Good luck!
With reference to Indian Hindus Tulsi, Peepal and to some extent Neem are considered sacred plants.
Couroupita guianensis commonly known as ''cannonball tree'' is another sacred tree revered by the Hindu community in India. The petals of the flowers of Couroupita guianensis resemble the hood of the Naga, a sacred snake protecting the Shivalinga. The trees of this plant species are grown extensively in Shiva temples in India. In Hindi it is called "Shiva Kamal" and is also known as "Kailashpati".
Couroupita guianensis is sacred to the followers of Buddhism also. According to Buddhist tradition, Maya held onto the branch of blossoming Shorea robusta (sal tree) while she was giving birth to Lord Buddha. Because of this, the sal tree is revered by many Buddhist people around the world. For reasons that remain unclear, after Couroupita guianensis was introduced from Guyana to a botanical garden in Sri Lanka in 1881, the tree was mistakenly believed to be Shorea robusta and has been planted around many Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
Dear Dr. R. C. Srivastava Sir,
Please have a look at this extremely useful PDF attachment on sacred plants.
Good luck!
Dear Dr. Srivastava,
I agree with you that shrines, worship areas and totemic believes have contributed immensely in conservation of plant species. I have noticed that most rare or endangered plants are found in shrines and sacred places.
In Southeast Nigeria, the following plants are worshipped and considered sacred: Milicia excelsa, Albizia adianthifolia, Albizia ferruginea, Albizia chevalieri, Ceiba pentandra, Bombax buonopozense, Ficus thonningii, Ficus religiosa, Leea guineensis, Cola gigantea, Cola accuminata etc.
Thank u Dr Feliz
Cold u pl send some details of these plants
Regards
RCSrivastava
In ancient Mesoamerica (southern Mexico and western Central America), all plants were considered sacred, together with animals and other natural entities that are not considered 'living beings' in contemporary Western culture. Plants were revered for their role in nutrition, for their capacity to alter our consciousness, or for their beauty, to mention just a few aspects of our complex relationships and interdependence with plants. Human beings were seen as an integral part of a living, sentient cosmos. This way of thinking survives to some extent in many indigenous communities, and it is not limited to this geographic region, but extends north and south to other native groups in the Americas. We have much to learn from traditional cultures throughout the world.
More than a decade ago, a colleague, Dr. Will McClatchey produced a couple of videos on plants associated with world-wide religions (the following are links to our ethnobotany video series; I was unable to make electronic links to the URL, so am attaching the cover pages)::
https://sites.google.com/site/introtoethnobotanyvideos/home/ethnobotany--religion-christianity-and-plants
https://sites.google.com/site/introtoethnobotanyvideos/home/ethnobotany--religion-christianity-and-plants
For old Hawai'i, there were many plants associated with the Hawaiian diety.
Thank you Sir
I will try to get these videos
Regards
RCSrivastava
There are a lot of sacred plants in Ghana that are revered, especially among the Asantes. You can refer to my work on Asante Cosmology and nature conservation on my RG profile. Best regards
In my country, it is the palm tree (dates tree) as our great Prophet recommended it.
Regards,
Emad
15 sacred plants from cultures around the world
Cathy Brown
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, people around the world have enlisted the help of native plants to induce altered states of consciousness, psychological or physiological, to “generate the Divine within.” More than just an exotic way to get high while traveling, these plants can offer what to some is seen as a direct link to the universe, to a more conscious state.
How these plants are traditionally used can tell a lot about the values and aspirations of a culture, and if experimented with, should be treated with much awareness and respect. Some in this list are not exactly do-it-yourself undertakings — they require intricate, knowledgeable preparation on the part of a well-practiced shaman. Some doses, if fucked up, can be toxic. You can’t say we didn’t warn you.
1. Cannabis
Starting with the basics, but let’s not screw around here…let’s get directly to hash. Hash, as you very well may know, is the resin collected from the flowers of the cannabis plant. The primary active substance is THC — same stuff that’s in marijuana. Believed to have originated in Morocco, there’s also evidence of hash from Taiwan thousands of years ago; some of the earliest human use occurred in Central Asia.
Usually smoked in pipes, bongs, joints, and hookahs, it can also be straight-up eaten. Negative effects can include impaired short-term memory, anxiety, and occasional panic attacks. But the most common effects are much better — a profound sense of well-being and connectedness with others, relaxation, the rapid flow of creative ideas, greatly increased appreciation of art, music, and food, heightened senses, drowsiness, and relief from pain and nausea.
2. African dream root
Silene undulata, meaning “white ways/paths” is a plant native to South Africa, long used by the Xhosa people as a sacred plant. Its fragrant flowers open at night (interesting considering it’s used to open up the dreamland) and close in the day, but it’s the root that’s used; it can be harvested after the second year, dried, and taken as a tea.
African dream root is traditionally used to induce prophetic lucid dreams during the initiation process of shamans. If you have no intention of being initiated as a shaman, you can by all means still take the plant to try to enjoy more frequent, intense, sometimes lucid dreams, with increased ability to recall intricate details of your dreams.
3. Peyote
📷
Photo: Edwin de la Garza
Peyote, from the Nahuatl word peyōtl, meaning “glistening,” is a small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. It’s been used by Native Americans for spiritual purposes for at least 5,500 years. Native to southwestern Texas and Mexico, it’s found primarily in the Chihuahuan Desert and in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí. When used for its psychoactive properties, an average dose of roughly 10 to 20g of dried peyote buttons is usually ingested, and intense effects can last about 10 to 12 hours.
Peyote triggers states of deep introspection and insight, often of a metaphysical or spiritual nature. At times, these can be accompanied by rich visual or auditory effects. Think of that scene with Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in the desert in The Doors (including the initial nausea he felt upon taking it). And realize Ken Kesey wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest while on peyote. You now get the picture.
4. San Pedro
San Pedro is a fast-growing cactus native to the Andes Mountains at 6,600–9,800ft in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. It has a long history of being used in Andean traditional medicine — archeological studies have found evidence of the Moche culture using it over 2,000 years ago. Although Roman Catholic Church authorities attempted to suppress its use, they failed, and ironically, a Christian element remains in its common name. San Pedro means Saint Peter — reflecting the belief that just as St. Peter holds the keys to heaven, the effects of the cactus allow users to reach heaven while still on Earth. You in yet?
The highest concentration of active substances is found in a layer of green tissue just beneath the thick skin, and the cactus is boiled down to create a liquid that contains extracted mescaline — like what’s in peyote. Approximately one to two hours after consuming this liquid, effects can come on and last eight to 15 hours. You might have extreme sensitivity to light — being able to see and feel every ray of light and see people and things “radiate.” Awww. Pretty. Forgotten memories can return; you can hear and see sounds and voices from far away. Emotions will surface, and you may uninhibitedly laugh, cry, scream, feeling love for everything and everyone.
While often compared to peyote because of its mescaline content, San Pedro can be more gentle and kind. The initial nausea of peyote is less likely to present, and the psychedelic experience in general can be less overwhelming, more chilled out.
5. Henbane
We’re talking straight-up witch stuff here. Hyoscyamus niger (commonly known as henbane), was originally used in continental Europe, Asia, and the Arab world, and spread to England in the Middle Ages. It was used to yield oracles by the priestesses of Apollo.
Extreme caution should be used with this one. Documentation back in the 1700s records some of the effects felt by people who ate the roots. They all suffered convulsions and contortions of the limbs and face, and those who were not rendered speechless could only howl. All eventually recovered, but for two to three days after they reported everything appeared to be scarlet in color. Another old case reported people who made a broth with the leaves. They all suffered delirium and hallucinations, which led them to think everything around them was in danger of falling. Many temporarily lost the ability to recognize their friends.
This one is not for the faint of heart; keep in mind the effects (both negative and positive) can last days, so when you commit, you commit. The plant is so powerful (poisonous?) that just the smell of the flowers is enough to produce giddiness.
6. Mushrooms
Often referred to as “shrooms,” specific mushrooms used for spiritual use contain psilocybin and psilocin. Depending on who you ask, it’s estimated that there are around 140 species just within the genus Psilocybe. The majority of these species are found in Mexico (53), with the remainder distributed in the US and Canada (22), Europe (16), Asia (15), Africa (4), and Australia and nearby islands (19).
Mushrooms have been used since prehistoric times in religious rites. Several mesolithic rock paintings from Tassili n’Ajjer, a prehistoric North African site of the Capsian culture, depicted the shamanic use of mushrooms. Mushroom motifs have been found in Mayan temple ruins in Guatemala, and there’s a long history of use among the native peoples of Mesoamerica for religious communion, divination, and healing. Shrooms were known to the Aztecs as teonanácatl (“divine mushroom” — from teó, “god, sacred,” and nanácatl, “mushroom” in Náhuatl).
After ingesting mushrooms by eating them or drinking a tea infused with them, the mind-altering effects typically last from three to eight hours depending on dosage, preparation method, and your metabolism. However, don’t forget that psilocybin has the ability to alter time perception — so the effects might feel like they last longer. Shifts in perception visually can include the enhancement and contrast of colors; strange light phenomena (think auras or “halos” around light sources); surfaces that appear to ripple, shimmer, or breathe; objects that morph; a sense of melting into the environment and becoming one with everything; and trails that seem to follow moving objects. Sounds seem to be heard with increased clarity, and some users even experience synesthesia, wherein they mesh senses — for example, hearing a particular sound could trigger the visualization of a certain color. Good times.
7. Salvia
Nowhere near the same sage you cook with, Salvia divinorum is a pretty badass psychoactive plant that can induce “visions” and other hallucinatory experiences. Miley Cyrus made it famous a few years back when she was caught on video smoking it, but don’t let that give you the impression it’s something tame for the masses. Whoah no. Its intensity can hit hard and fast, like a punch to the face, leaving users questioning everything they ever thought they knew about time or space.
Its native habitat is in cloud forest in the isolated Sierra Mazateca of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mazatec shamans have a long and continuous tradition of religious use of Salvia divinorum, using it to facilitate visionary states of consciousness during spiritual healing sessions. Mazatec belief is that the plant is an incarnation of the Virgin Mary.
There are a few ways to consume Salvia divinorum. In traditional Mazatec ritual, shamans crush 20-80 fresh leaves to extract leaf juices, which they mix with water to create a tea. Oral consumption of the leaf makes the effects come on slowly, over a period of 10-20 minutes, and can last from about 30 minutes up to one and a half hours. Dry leaves can be smoked in a pipe or a bong, but the temperature required to release the salvinorin is quite high (about 240°C), so a more intense flame, like that of a torch lighter, is necessary. If salvia is smoked, the main effects are experienced rather quickly, shall we say. The most intense “peak” can be reached in less than a minute and can last for one to five minutes, followed by a gentle tapering off. Everything should be fairly back to normal, assuming you still have a concept of what “normal” is, after about 20 minutes.
Effects one might experience include uncontrollable laughter, revisiting past places and memories, strong sensations of being pulled or twisted by forces, merging with or becoming objects, overlapping realities such as the perception of being in several locations, dimensions, or time frames at once, and synesthetic experiences. Speaking in tongues has also occurred in some users. So yeah, have fun with that. And it’s definitely recommended that you try it only with someone responsible there specifically to watch over you — for a few minutes, it’s possible you will have NO idea what you’re doing and will not have much control over your bodily movements.
8. Tobacco
Huron Indian myth says that in ancient times, when the land was barren and the people were starving, the Great Spirit sent forth a woman to save humanity. As she traveled over the world, everywhere her right hand touched the soil, there grew potatoes. Everywhere her left hand touched the soil grew corn. And when the world was rich and fertile, she sat down and rested. When she arose, there grew tobacco…
Now, pretty sure nobody today considers your Marlboro Reds sacred, regardless of their cultural traditions. The Native Americans use the dry plant, no chemical additives. The reason tobacco is considered so important is that it’s thought to connect the worlds — the plant’s roots go deep into the earth, and its smoke rises high into the heavens. In Native-American tradition, the pipe is a link between earth and sky, and the pipe can be seen as prayer in physical form. Smoke becomes words, touches everything, pervades all. The fire in the pipe is the same fire in the sun — the source of life.
Smoking tobacco with others is a way to seal bargains or agreements between leaders of different groups, and even to end hostilities. Usually smoked, tobacco can also be used as an offering to the earth or the spirits, a way to give thanks or ask for help or protection. It’s also left at graves as an offering to the departed spirit.
9. Blue lily
Nymphaea caerulea, aka blue Egyptian water lily or sacred blue lily, was originally found along the Nile and other locations in East Africa. It has since spread to other places, such as the Indian subcontinent and Thailand.
Its flower is the symbol of the Egyptian deity Nefertem, so is very often depicted in Egyptian art, including in carvings and paintings in the famous temple of Karnak. It’s frequently associated with dancing or in significant spiritual / magical rites such as the rite of passage into the afterlife. This flower has mild psychoactive properties, and eating or smoking it can act as a mild sedative. It takes ingesting three to six flowers before feeling anything. The nicely sedating effects make it a possible candidate (among several) for the true identity of the lotus plant eaten by the mythical Lotophagi in Homer’s Odyssey.
The main effects of blue lily are a pleasant feeling of warmth around the head, mixed with a very comfortable dreamy feeling. Some people compare the effects to MDMA or ecstasy (because it’s been known to sexually arouse users), but some will say it’s more along the lines of cannabis or codeine. It has a much more hypnotic effect than a hallucinatory effect. Part of its “magic” is said to come from its aroma. It’s said to have a “divine” essence, bringing increased awareness and tranquility to any who work with the flower.
10. Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca, also called yagé, is a psychedelic brew of various plant infusions prepared along with the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, fast-growing in international popularity. It’s either mixed with the leaves of DMT-containing species of shrubs from the genus Psychotria or with the leaves of the Justicia pectoralis plant (which does not contain DMT). How indigenous peoples discovered the synergistic properties of the plants remains unclear — many indigenous Amazonian people claim they received the instructions directly from the plant spirits, and who the hell are we to say they didn’t? Tripping on ayahuasca now seems to be the “hip” thing to do for many travelers meandering through the Amazon — for a lot of them, it’s the main reason they go.
People who have experimented with ayahuasca report having spiritual revelations regarding their purpose on Earth, the true nature of the universe, and profound insight into how to grow, evolve, and better themselves. This awakening is often described as a rebirth. It’s also reported that some individuals feel they gain access to higher spiritual dimensions; they make contact with various spiritual beings or animal spirits who can act as guides or healers. Vomiting often accompanies ayahuasca ingestion; this purging is considered by many to be a critical part of the experience, as it represents the release of negative energy and emotions accumulated over the course of one’s life.
In the 16th century, Christian missionaries from Spain and Portugal first encountered indigenous South Americans using ayahuasca and did not hesitate to describe it as the work of the devil. So you know the natives were onto something good.
11. Syrian rue
Peganum harmala, if you want to get all technical. It has a long history of medicinal use in North Africa and the Middle East, from Persia to India. It’s one of the plants speculated to be the “soma” of ancient Persia. It’s been used to ward off the evil eye, in case you happen to need that sort of thing.
It’s the seeds that are ingested (and they contain uterotonic alkaloids, so should definitely be avoided at all costs by pregnant women). In Western culture, the seeds are sometimes used as an MAOI in combination with other psychoactive substances, and less commonly as a psychoactive in their own right. For use as an MAOI, 3-5g of seeds is sufficient to activate oral DMT; dosages from 3 to 28g are taken to produce psychoactive effects.
The effects have been described as “sedative, narcotic, mildly to moderately visual,” and depending on the dosage some other common effects are nausea, dizziness, ringing in the ears, hypertension, visual trails, and closed-eye visuals. Effects usually begin within 30-60 minutes and last for a few hours. It’s not exactly the most outwardly enjoyable or powerful plant on this list, but hey, it’s an option.
12. Jurema
This one’s interesting because it’s the only known plant that can be used for an orally ingested brew that, without the aid of another plant, induces visionary experiences along the lines of ayahuasca. Jurema is also a very common source for people who make anahuasca, which is any brew with close psychopharmacology (an MAO-inhibiting plant + a DMT source) to ayahuasca, albeit more gentle in intensity.
A psychoactive liquid can also be made from jurema alone. Between 10 and 35g of the powdered root bark can infuse in 125 to 175ml of cold water for an hour; squeeze and stir the powder a few times. Strain and keep the liquid, and use the remaining powder for a second run, repeating the process. The two liquid batches are combined and can be taken on an empty stomach.
To make anahuasca, M. hostilis is used primarily in combination with jurema. The effects can best be described as a physical and mental purge, combined with a few hours’ connection with the otherwise imperceptible. The purging is typically not as strong as with ayahuasca. Intensity is difficult to predict — when the effects are weak, most drinkers compare the experience to a low dose of psilocybin mushrooms or LSD, combined with stomach cramps in the first two hours, sometimes including diarrhea or vomiting.
In the case of strong effects, most people experience a drastic change in the interpretation of reality or even some kind of transport of all the senses to another dimension. When jurema is taken by itself and not combined with other plants, the effects are similar but of shorter duration (up to three hours), and there’s usually less nausea.
13. Jimson weed
Part of the nightshade family, its common name is “datura.” This plant has its roots in ancient India, where it’s considered particularly sacred — believed to be a favorite of the Hindu god Shiva Nataraja.
It’s also been used among Native Americans (Algonquian, Cherokee, and Luiseño), and the Táltos of the Magyar (Hungary). In Ethiopia, some students and debtrawoch (lay priests) use jimson weed to “open the mind,” to be more receptive to learning and creative, imaginative thinking. It’s a powerful hallucinogen and deliriant, used spiritually for the profound and vivid visions it produces. However, the tropane alkaloids responsible for its hallucinogenic properties are fatally toxic in only slightly higher amounts than the medicinal dosage, and careless use often results in hospitalizations and deaths (consider yourself warned).
14. Kava
Kava, or kava-kava (Piper methysticum), grows in and is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia, including Hawaii, Vanuatu, Melanesia, and some parts of Micronesia. The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with strong sedative and anesthetic properties. Traditionally, it’s prepared by chewing, grinding (with a block of dead coral), or pounding (with a stone against a log) the roots of the kava plant. The ground root is combined with only a bit of water, as the fresh root releases a lot of its own moisture. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
The effects of the drink vary widely with the particular plant used and the amount ingested. Low-dose kava will probably just chill you out a little or make your face numb, but high-quality, high-dose kava has the ability to fully suspend a person’s perpetual “mental chatter” for a long period of time, giving the mind a true rest, while relieving all held tension in the body. High doses can cause the drinker to sleep profoundly, creating a state of great rest and rejuvenation, and sleepiness can last throughout the following day. Besides being relaxing and stress-reducing, kava is also a euphoric. Traditionally, it’s been used for acquiring inner knowledge and wisdom — in other words, the ability to “know oneself.”
Drinking kava is kind of like the Polynesian version of a peace pipe. It’s reported that you can’t feel hate after drinking kava, so it’s been used to help settle quarrels or begin treaty negotiations, political meetings, and business dealings. Fijian spiritual healers (called dauvagunu, “the expert in drinking kava”) got their power by strategically using kava to gain access to the Vu (spirit force). They credit kava for their greater powers of perception and insight.
15. Yopo
Anadenanthera peregrina, aka yopo, jopo, cohoba, parica, or calcium tree, is a perennial tree native to the Caribbean and South America. Archaeological evidence shows that beans from the tree have been used as hallucinogens for over 4,000 years. The oldest clear evidence of use comes from smoking pipes made of puma bone found with the beans (which are ground up to make a powder that’s blown into the nose or snorted) in a cave in Jujuy Province, Argentina. The pipes were found to contain the hallucinogen DMT, one of the compounds in the beans.
Some indigenous peoples in Colombia, Venezuela, and the southern part of the Brazilian Amazon still make use of yopo snuff for spiritual healing. The snuff is usually blown into the user’s nostrils by another person through bamboo tubes or sometimes by the user via bird bone tubes (totally National Geographic-worthy, but said to be not that pleasant of a feeling). Blowing is more effective than snuffing, as it allows more powder to enter the nose and is said to be less irritating. Some tribes use yopo along with Banisteriopsis caapi to increase and prolong the visionary effects, creating an experience similar to that of ayahuasca.
Inhaling yopo can cause considerable pain in the nostrils. However, this pain usually subsides within minutes. Physical effects include tingling and numbness throughout the body and an increased heart rate. Hallucinatory effects should follow; colors can become more vivid and shapes can appear to shift and alter. The effects of yopo intensify quickly but gradually taper off and are then replaced by nausea and general unease. It’s all fun and games until you have to come down.
reference / https://matadornetwork.com/bnt/15-sacred-plants-around-world/
regards
Palm trees are also sacred here in Ghana, my brother Prof. Emad. It is believed to ward off evil spirits. Thus in some cultures in the Ashanti region, some houses have the dried leaves hanged on their doors, with others planting it as part of their homestead. Interesting!
Check this link
https://www.google.com/amp/s/matadornetwork.com/bnt/15-sacred-plants-around-world/amp/
Best wishes
Please have a look at these useful links for more details.
https://matadornetwork.com/bnt/15-sacred-plants-around-world/
https://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/11-of-the-most-sacred-and-iconic-trees-from-around-the-world/
Why Couroupita guianensis Aubl. is locally known as Shivalinga ?
Androecium is a saucer-shaped annular ring with numerous small fertile stamens, symmetrically arranged on its upper-surface in several series around short nipple-like gynoecium (Shivalinga) and from one side of staminiferous ring, an unilateral prolongation known as ligule, arches over the summit of the gynoecium forming a hood-like structure with many stamens at its end (Hood of the serpent). These latter stamens though larger than on the staminiferous ring have sterile pollens.
Kindly see the attachments.
From the Nahua or Aztec peoples of Mexico, we have the following plants, fruit, and seeds: All the English words come from the original Nahuatl language by way of Spanish. (Etymologies from Merriam-Webster). Can you imagine a world without chocolate or tomatoes?
1) Chocolate - cacao - cacahuatl
2) Tomatoes - tomate - tomatl
3) Avocado - aguacate - āhuacatl
4) Peyote "mescal cactus," 1849, from Mexican Spanish peyote, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) peyotl, said to mean "caterpillar;" the cactus so called from the downy button on top.
5) Chili peppers - Chili comes straight from the Nahuatl word chīlli, meaning “hot pepper.” The word has common variants spelled chilli and chile and entered English through Spanish in the mid-1600s. The reason we call these fruits that are native to the Americas “peppers” is that their spicy taste resembled that of the black pepper made from ground and dried peppercorns imported to Europe from India since Roman times. We may also associate chili peppers with Asian cooking, but it was Portuguese traders who brought the plants east as part of the spice trade of the 1500s.
There are many sacred plants in Nigeria. One of the most revered ones in virtually all the ethnic groups in Nigeria is Cola nut. In the Ibibio ethnic group in Nigeria, it is believed that it the tree has magical powers.
Mimosa tenuiflora, syn. Mimosa hostilis is a plant from the northeastern region of Brazil, considered to be holy by many indigenous cultures in this region. I know that hallucinogenic teas are made from its bark and leaves.
Vilvam , Vaagai, kontrai(cassia fistula), Neem, Peepal, Maa, tulsi are most sacred plants in southern side of lndia.
Hi
Of course, ragwort is one of them. The alkaloids from ragwort are toxins to an extend that they will lech to soil and water
This paper reports alkaloids in plant, soil and water.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142822
I hope this helps!
Ramesh Chandra Srivastava
Yes.. your opinion was right to a large extent