Swamp Sassafras

Synonyms Magnolia glauca 1. The Rappahannock Indians snuffed the leaves and bark of this North American tree as a mild inebriant (cf. snuff). Chemical studies and additional ethnographic data are lacking (Ott 1993, 412*). Virginia magnolia, which has a safrole scent, is also known in the United States as swamp sassafras (Grieve 1982, 716*). It contains an essential oil that clearly includes a high quantity of safrole (cf. Sassafras albidum). Another magnolia species has been associated with the Aztec inebriant poyomatli. Magnolias have been shown to contain alkaloids, e.g., magnoflorine (Roth et al. 1994,479*).