Reed Canary Grass

Family Gramineae: Poaceae (Grass Family) Forms and Subspecies Several varieties and cultivars have been described, including Phalaris arundinacea var. ~ picta 1. (from North America), known as bent grass. The widespread cultivar Phalaris arundinacea cv. Turkey Red produces primarily 5-MeO-DMT (Appleseed 1995,37). Synonyms Baldingera arundinacea (1.) Dumort. Phalaroides arundinacea (1.) Rauschert Typhoides arundinacea (1.) Moench   Folk Names Bentgrass, canarygrass, canary grass, glanzgras, militz, phalaridos, randgras, reed canarygrass, reed canary grass, reed grass, rohrglanzgras History Reed canary grass was known even in ancient times. It cannot be determined whether this or another species (e.g., Phalaris aquatica 1. or Phalaris canariensis 1.) is the phalaridos described by Dioscorides. A number of grasses appear in herbals from the early modern period. The fact that Phalaris is psychoactive was discovered during phytochemical studies of the grasses for agricultural purposes. For several years, closet shamans have been experimenting with possibilities for using this and other grasses for psychoactive purposes (cf. Arundo donax, Phalaris spp., Phragmites australis). Distribution The grass is found in Eurasia, North Africa, and North America. Thick stands grow on the banks of rivers and lakes and in wet meadows, often in reed fields and large sedge swamps (so-called phragmitetea). Cultivation The grass can be grown from seed or propagated by root cuttings (Appleseed 1995). The seeds need only be broadcast onto the ground. The grass prefers nutrient-rich, acid soils and must be near water or watered frequently. Appearance The perennial grass develops gray-green stalks that can grow up to 2 meters in height and can branch. The long, wide leaves have rough edges and are attached to the stalks. The panicle can take on a light green or red-violet hue. The spikelets bear a single flower. The flowering period is from June to August (Christiansen and Hancke 1993, 74 f. *). Large specimens can be confused with small forms of Phragmites australis. Psychoactive Material - Leaves Preparation and Dosage While the dried grass can be smoked, smoking almost never yields any effects. An extract obtained from the leaves is more suitable for smoking. It can be produced in the following manner: The dried leaves are finely chopped or powdered and, preferably, freeze-dried (or frozen and unfrozen several times). The material prepared in this fashion is placed in a blender with water and minced into a mush that is made acidic by the addition of an acid (e.g., acetic acid) and lightly simmered. The material is then boiled down until a tarlike mass remains. This mass can then be dissolved in alcohol (or a mixture of ethanol and water). The resulting solution is then impregnated into material suitable for smoking (e.g., damiana herbage; cf. Turnera diffusa). After being dried, the preparation should be quite potent (cf. DeKorne 1994, 127ff.*). Reed canary grass is increasingly being used to produce ayahuasca analogs. To date, however, there are very few detailed reports about optimal dosages, and definitive information about the races or strains of the grass to use is also lacking (Appleseed 1993). A combination of 125 mg of an extract of Peganum harmala seeds and 50 mg of Phalaris extract produced unequivocal psychedelic effects "accompanied by strong waves of nausea" (DeKorne 1994,98*). A combination of 60 g fresh weight of Phalaris and 3 g of Peganum harmala produced strong toxic effects (Festi and Samorini 1994).

Ritual Use To date, we know of no traditional use of Phalaris arundinacea as a psychoactive substance. However, the Roman poet Ovid (43 B.c.E.-17 C.E.) described a shamanic transformation that was induced by (an unfortunately unidentified) "grass." In the story of Glaucus, a fisher from Anthedon in Boeotia, Glaucus himself described his wondrous metamorphosis into a sea god: I sought the cause if any God had brought this same abowt, Or else sum jewce of herb. And as I so did musing stand, What herb (quoth I) hath such a powre? And gathering with my hand The grasse, I bote it with my toothe. My throte had scarcely yit Well swallowed downe the uncouth jewce, when like an agew fit I felt myne inwards soodeinly to shake, and with the same, A love of other nature in my brest with violence came. And long I could it not resist, but sayd: Deere land, adeew, For never shall I haunt thee more. And with that woord I threw My bodye in the sea. The Goddes thereof receyving mee, Vouchsaved in theyr order mee installed for too bee, Desyring old Oceanus and Thetis for theyr sake, The rest ofmy mortalitie away from mee to take. They hallowed mee, and having sayd nyne tymes the holy ryme That purgeth all prophanednesse, they charged mee that tyme To put my brestbulk underneathe a hunred streames. Anon The brookes from sundry coastes and all the Seas did ryde uppon My head. From whence as soone as I returned, by and by I felt my self farre otherwyse through all my limbes, than I Had beene before. And in my mynd I was another man. Thus farre of all that mee befell make just report I can. Thus farre I beare in mynd. The rest my mynd perceyved not. Then first of all this hory greene gray grisild beard I got, And this same bush of heare which all along the seas I sweepe, And theis same myghty shoulders, and theis grayish armes, and feete Confounded into finned fish. (OVID, METAMORPHOSES 13.1099-24; IN NIMS 1965, 348-49) Perhaps the "grass" was Phalaris arundinacea, and a preparation was known in ancient times that would have been suitable in rituals for animal transformation.Artifacts None Medicinal Use Dioscorides noted that the "crushed plant, treated with water or wine to make a juice, has the power to have good effects on bladder disorders" (3.149). Constituents The entire grass contains indole alkaloids, the composition of which can vary greatly depending upon race, strain, location, time of collection, et cetera (Marten 1973; Ostrem 1987). N,N-DMT, MMT, and 5-MeO-DMT are usually present (Matum et al. 1979). The grass also can have high concentrations of gramine, a very toxic alkaloid (Appleseed 1995). Effects Smoking a suitable preparation can produce effects like those produced by N,N-DMT. While some of the ayahuasca analogs that have been tested to date have indeed yielded ayahuasca-like effects, many of the reports describe unpleasant experiences (cf. Festi and Samorini 1994). Commercial Forms and Regulations The seeds are available through ethnobotanical specialty sources. Literature See also the entries for Arundo donax, Phragmites australis, ayahuasca analogs, N,N-DMT, and 5MeO- DMT. Appleseed, Johnny. 1993. Ayahuasca analog plant complexes of the temperate zone: Phalaris arundinacea and the Desmanthus spec. Integration 4:59-62. ---. 1995. Phalaris in groBen Mengen. Entheogene 4:36-37. Festi, Francesco, and Giorgio Samorini. 1994. Alcaloidi indolici psicoattivi nei generi Phalaris e Arundo (Graminaceae): Una rassegna. Annali dei Musei Civici di Rovereto 9 (1993): 239-88. (Very good bibliography.) Marten, G. C. 1973. Alkaloids and palatability of Phalaris arundinacea grown in diverse environments. Agronomy]ournaI165:199-201. Marum, P.,A. W. Hovin, and G. C. Marten. 1979. Inheritance of three groups of indole alkaloids in reed canarygrass. Crop Science 19:539-44. Nims, John Frederick, ed. 1965. Ovid's Metamorphoses, the Arthur Golding translation 1567. New York: Macmillan. Ostrem,1. 1987. Studies on genetic variation in reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea I: Alkaloid type and concentration. Hereditas 107:235-48.