Helinus integrifolius - `ubhubhubhu' :

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04afd5a3.jpg"> <bR> <div> <B>The Botanical Source</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2063.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B><IMG SRC="107b8d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=21" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11958d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seed Catalogue :"><U><IMG SRC="11948d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=5d55fa2bee3df7b388a151625a1e9916" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11938d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><IMG SRC="10828d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><IMG SRC="11928d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><IMG SRC="11918d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://edge.quantserve.com/quant.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">_qacct="p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ";quantserve();</script> <noscript> <a href="http://www.quantcast.com/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ" target="_blank"><img src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ.gif" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/></a> </noscript>   </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3741917-2"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04c03043.jpg"> <div> <B>Helinus integrifolius - `ubhubhubhu' :</B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> <A NAME="top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div>  <script language=JavaScript>  </script>  </div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="a36902a0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="298" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Ritual & magical uses</U></B> :</div> <bR> <div> <B>Diviners use saponin rich species like </B><I><B>Helinus integrifolius</B></I><B> in an ubulawu mix which enables them to interpret dreams clearly. </B><B>(Saponins are a highly bioactive group of molecules.)</B></div> <div> <B>It is prepared by stirring with cold water until a froth appears.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>One gets different types of ubulawu-mixes, one of which consists of the following mixture of plants :</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Helinus</B></I><I><B> </B></I><I><B>integrifolius</B></I><I><B>,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Rhus paucifloris `utiyi'</B></I><I><B>, </B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Maesa lanceolata</B></I><I><B>, and</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Synaptolepis kirkii</B></I><I><B>.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Some details about the plants used in this ubulawu mix follow :</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1.</B></div> <div> <B>Helinus integrifolius</B><B> is called `ubhubhubhu’ in traditional medicine.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>2.</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id390.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rhus pauciflorus Utiyi"><U><B>Rhus paucifloris</B></U></A><B> - </B><B>Zulu diviners use `</B><A HREF="id390.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rhus pauciflorus Utiyi"><U><B>utiyi</B></U></A><B>' to induce a trance state.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>3.</B></div> <div> <B>The bark of </B><B>Maesa lanceolata</B><B> is used in cold water infusions (ubulawu) for ancestor communication.</B></div> <div> <B>This same bark is also used by the Maasai tribe in Kenya </B></div> <div> <B>as a stimulant to combat general tiredness and weakness.</B></div> <div> <B>Click here for more info on </B><A HREF="id235.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Maesa lanceolata umagupu"><U><B>Maesa lanceolata `umagupu'</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>4.</B><B> </B></div> <div> <B>Synaptolepis kirkii (used in the above mentioned ubulawu mix), is known in Zulu as `uvuma-omhlope'. </B></div> <div> <B>Uvuma-omhlope is used to produce clear vision when entering into a trance. Root infusions are also used in rituals and assist diviners to `see’ in a metaphysical sense.</B></div> <div> <B>The tuberous root is cut into chunks. These chunks are remarkably pure white in colour (`omhlope’ = white), and easy to identify. They have brown fibres embedded in them, and appear like pieces of plaster of Paris.</B></div> <div> <B>An unusual diterpenoid ester known as Synaptolepis factor K, has been reported from a Synaptolepis species (see Zayed 1977). Recent scientific research shows that Synaptolepis kirkii has potent neurotrophic effects.</B></div> <div> <B>Click here for more info on </B><A HREF="id238.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Uvumaomhlope : Synaptolepis kirkii"><U><B>Synaptolepis kirkii `Uvuma-omhlope'</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="11622ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=50" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/p"><U><B>Click here to buy ubhubhubhu</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Interestingly, </B><B>Helinus integrifolius</B><B> is used in a `chai' mix in Tanzania, where it is called `olesupeni'.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>This is a Tanzanian recipe for making chai, `Fill a small pot half full of water and put it on a stove or whatever you use for a heating element. Add a half teaspoon of good black tea leaves for each cup of tea you are making. Then add a healthy sprinkling of spices. The best way to do this is to keep in your cupboard an airtight container full of the following spice mix (small broken-up pieces of cinnamon stick, dried orange peel, ground dried ginger, coriander, cardamom seeds [remove seeds from pods], cloves, and black peppercorns…all mashed up a bit with a mortar and pestle). Experiment with the proportions of each until you get your favorite blend. Heat all this until it boils. At this time, you can add pieces of medicinal plants - bark and roots. Here in Tanzania we use oloisuki (</B><B>Zanthoxylum chalybeum</B><B>), and olesupeni (</B><B>Helinus integrifolius</B><B>) used to strengthen the body, increase immunity levels and treat back pain. Boil for another minute. Now, add whole milk until the chai becomes a nice, light beige color and turn down the heat.'</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>  Subscribe to The Botanical Source free newsletter:<br><br> <form action="http://freeautobot.com/cgi-bin/autores/autores.cgi" target="_blank"> <input type=hidden name="do" value="add_lead_external"> <input type=hidden name="Username" value="botanical"> <input type=hidden name="Stop_Status" value="Active"> <input type=hidden name="Cycle_Number" value="0"> <input type=hidden name="Success_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id310.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Failure_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id309.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Notes" value="Added from opt-in form"> Email : <input type=text name="Email" value=""><br> <input type=submit value="Submit"> </form>   </B></div> <div> <B>[ Opens a new window. ]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Privacy Policy</U></B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> :</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a000000000.png" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We do not publish or share your email address with anyone.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="Helinus integrifolius ubhubhubhu :"><U><B>Top of page.</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop"><U><B>Return to Herbal Products.</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>