African Dream Herb

Entada rheedei is a very large woody climber of the mimosa group of the pea family, a liana that can grow as long as 120 metres. Its flat seed pods can reach about two metres, and the seeds inside have such a thick, durable coat that they survive long immersion in seawater, which is how the plant came to be widely spread through the tropics and subtropics outside the Americas, including the beaches of east and southern Africa. The species was first described in 1825 and was named in honour of the Dutch colonial governor and botanist Hendrik van Rheede. In African traditional medicine it is used to bring vivid dreams, said to let the dreamer speak with the spirit world. The inner part of the seed is eaten, or chopped, dried, mixed with other herbs such as tobacco and smoked just before sleep. The plant is also used as an ointment on the skin for jaundice, toothache, ulcers and aches of the muscles and bones. The seeds are sought after as jewellery and as good-luck charms.