Painted Nettle

Coleus Blumei

Coleus is used primarily as an ornamental. Very little is known about its ethnobotany. Its
psycho-active use among the Mexican Mazatecs was discovered in 1962 in connection with
Gordon Wasson’s early research into Salvia divinorum (Ott 1993, 381*) and has been only
rudimentarily investigated. Phytochemical studies of the plant have increased in recent years,
but these have been focused primarily on enzymatic processes (Kempin et al. 1993; Petersen
1992, 1993). Propagation occurs primarily through cuttings. A young shoot some 10 cm long or
a young branch is separated from the mother plant and all leaves except the last pair at the end
of the stem are carefully removed. The stem is placed in a glass of water. Within two weeks, the
first roots will appear. After three to four weeks, the small plant can be transplanted into humus-
rich soil. It should be watered well and not allowed to stand in direct sunlight. Because it does
not tolerate any frost, in cold climates coleus can be kept only as a houseplant. The leaves are
dried and smoked alone or mixed with other herbs. In the tropics, the leaves dry slowly but do
not grow moldy like those of other plants. Psychoactive effects can appear when smoking as
few as three leaves. The Mazatecs include coleus in the same “family” as Salvia divinorum,
whereby Salvia is the “female” and coleus the “male.” They also make an additional
distinction: Coleus pumilis Blanco [syn. Coleus rehneltianus Berger] is el macho,“the male,”
while the two forms of Coleus blumei are el nene, “the child,” and el ahijado, “the godson”
(Schultes 1970, 42*). The fresh leaves are used in exactly the same manner as those of Salvia
divinorum, that is, they are chewed as quids. Mazatec soothsayers apparently use coleus only as
a substitute for Salvia divinorum. On Samoa, the herbage is used to treat elephantiasis (Uhe
1974, 15*). In Southeast Asia, it is used to treat dysentery and digestive problems (Valdés et al.
1987, 474), and in Papua New Guinea it is used to treat headaches (Ott 1993, 381*). Coleus is
also used as a medicinal plant in the San Pedro cult (cf. Trichocereus pachanoi). The closely
related species Coleus atropurpureus Benth. was once used to prevent conception (Schneider
1974, 1:349*). Coleus was recently found to contain salvinorin-like substances (cf. salvinorin
A) of an as yet undetermined chemical structure (cf. diterpenes). It is possible that these
diterpenes are chemically modified by drying or burning and transformed into efficacious62
substances. However, additional chemical and pharmaceutical research is needed to clarify this
situation.Rosmarinic acid has been biosynthesized in cell cultures of Coleus blumei (Häusler et
al. 1992; Meinhard et al. 1992, 1993). A diterpene (forskolin = coleonol) that is potently
bioactive has been found in the related species Coleus forskohlii (Poir.) Briq. [syn. Coleus
barbatus Benth.] (Valdés et al. 1987). It is possible that Coleus blumei may also contain
forskolin or a similar substance. However, an initial investigation of Indian plants was unable to
detect any forskolin (Valdés et al. 1987, 479). Forskolin activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase,
an intracellular neurotransmitter that can bind to various receptors. This means that forskolin is
able to exert strong indirect effects upon neurotransmission (D. McKenna 1995, 103*). Whether
this can result in psychoactive effects is unknown. Some 30% of subjects who smoked dried
Mexican Coleus blumei leaves reported effects similar to those produced by smoking a small
dosage of Salvia divinorum (increase in pulse rate, sensations of bodily heaviness, rolling
sensations, lights dancing before the eyes). It may be that a particular bodily chemistry is
required to react to the plant. It is also possible that the effects are perceived only after repeated
attempts (as is the case with Cannabis and Salvia divinorum). In the specialized literature, the
psychoactivity of coleus is highly controversial: Coleus can be found in every specialized book
on inebriating drugs. . . . I myself, as well as a larger number of people that I know, [have]
undertaken experiments with this plant, some of them using very large amounts of leaves. In no
case was there any type of effect. . . . A communication from the ethnopharmacologist Daniel J.
Seibert suggests the same. He was in the area of the Mazatecs, and wrote me that only one
single Indian there maintained that coleus is psychoactive. All of the other Indians denied this.
(Schuldes 1995, 78*)

This annual plant is well known amongst horticulturists and amateur gardeners alike, as it is a prized as an easy-to-grow houseplant and hardy outdoor ornamental. C. blumei produces many tiny beautiful flowers and has colorful kaleidoscopic leaves. In the wild, Coleus blumei can grow up 3 feet (1 meter) tall, and about 1 foot (1/3 meter) around. The leaves are oval shaped with rounded tooth edges and brightly colored, with green edges and blood-red veins in the center as well as many splotches of dark red, maroon, and brown. The flowers are very small, grow along a central stem, and range from light mauve to violet in color. Coleus blumei first originated in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, but was transplanted in the tropical regions of Mexico and has since become well known amongst the Mazatec Indians for its psychoactive properties (Ratsch 198, 181).

TRADITIONAL USES: El Ahijado was first studied by Gordon Wasson while he was searching Southern Mexico for the mythical psychoactive plant used by the Aztecs known as Pipiltzintzintli. During Wasson’s expedition through the Sierra Madre Mazateca region, not only did he discover the ritual use of Salvia divinorum as a hallucinogen, but he also learned of the use of Coleus blumei as a potent substitute for Salvia. When Salvia divinorum, La Hembra (the Woman) was unavailable, the shaman would use the leaves and flowers of C. blumei, El Ahijado (the Godson) in its place (Schultes 1970).

For centuries, the Mazatec Indians of southwestern Mexico have known and used El Ahijado in their religious healing ceremonies. In traditional Mazatec communities, Coleus blumei is considered ‘the male’ (El Ahijado) and Salvia divinorum is considered ‘the female’ (La Hembra). However, shamans and healers tend to use Coleus blumei only when they are unable to procure Salvia divinorum.

C. blumei is also reportedly smoked as a substitute for Cannabis by the Macumba of Brazil in order to create a trance state and to open themselves up to the god force (Voogelbreinder 2009, 135).

TRADITIONAL PREPARATION: The Mazatec natives tend to consume El Ahijado in two ways, either as a fresh chewable quid of leaves or smoked as a dried leaf. Traditionally, eight to twelve small leaves are freshly picked from the plant, rolled into a quid and chewed, the juices are swallowed, and after 15 – 20 minutes the used quid is discarded and exchanged for fresh leaves (Hofmann et al. 1992). In other Mazatec communities the leaves and flowers are gathers and dried and the resulting herbs are crushed and mixed with tobacco or Tagetes lucida (Mexican Tarragon) to be smoked.

MEDICINAL USES: Traditionally, Coleus blumei has been used to treat many common ailments. Most commonly, the Mazatec used this magical herb to treat stomach pains, digestive problems, dysentery, and even elephantiasis. In other parts of the world the plant is used to treat headaches and ulcers and as a contraceptive to prevent pregnancy (Voogelbreinder 2009, 135).

TRADITIONAL EFFECTS: Very little is currently known about the active principle alkaloids in Coleus blumei, and much more research still must be done on this plant and its role as an entheogen. Fortunately, there has been a strong increase in interest in the plant and there are more scientific studies underway. What is known is that the plant contains Diterpene alkaloids. It is currently hypothesized that when Diterpenes are dried and exposed to high temperatures the structure changes to resemble the active alkaloids present in Salvia divinorum. This is still just a supposition, however (Ratsch 1998, 182).

Many people report that small doses of El Ahijado are very similar to small doses of Salvia divinorum. These effects include increased pulse, a feeling of bodily heaviness, lights appearing before the eyes, and so forth.  This is certainly a powerful shamanic traveling plant and must be studied with care. Similar to many other plants, like Salvia divinorum and Cannabis sativa, the effects of Coleus blumei are not usually felt after the first trial. Rather, it take several attempts and great knowledge of the plant to fully feel its inebriating effects (Ratsch 1998, 182).

There is still much debate as to the efficacy and potentiality of Coleus blumei. There are many reports from reputable ethnobotanists and ethnopharmacologists suggesting that they have experienced little to no effects when working with this plant. As is often the case, the journey is always viewed through the lense of previous experiences (Schuldes 1995 cited in Ratsch 1998, 182).

REFERENCES

Faucon, Philippe. 2005. Coleus, Flame Nettle, Painted Nettle. Desert-Tropicals.com

Lemke, Cal. 2004. Coleus Blumei Hybrid Lamiaceae. plantoftheweek.org

Ratsch, Christian. 2005. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications. Park Street Press; Rochester, VT.

Schultes, R.E. “The New World Indians and Their Hallucinogenic Plants.” Bulletin of the Morris Arboretum 21 (1970): 3–14.

Schultes, Richard E; Hofmann, Albert; Ratsch, Christian. 2001. Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers. Healing Arts Press; Rochester, VT.

Voogelbreinder, Snu, Garden of Eden: The Shamanic Use of Psychoactive Flora and Fauna, and the Study of Consciousness. Snu Voogelbreinder, 2009.