Jamaican Nutmeg

In West Africa, this treelike curcubit is known as pebe. Its seeds are reputedly used to establish contact with the water spirits (mamiwata). Apparently they are ingested and also smeared on the arms. The seeds are used by the Pygmies as a stimulant and to treat headaches. With a scent reminiscent of that of nutmeg, they are also used as a substitute for the true nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) , which may also represent a pebe for contacting the water spirits (Wagner 1991; cf. also Ott 1993, 413 f.*). The seeds contain an essential oil in which myristicin or safrole may be present; this would make them a useful psychoactive substance. African slaves introduced the plant into the Caribbean, where the seeds are used as a spice (Bartels 1993,69*). Another curcubit species (Echinocystis Iobata Torr. et Gray) is rumored to be psychoactive or even hallucinogenic (Schultes and Farnsworth 1982, 188*; Schultes and Hofmann 1980,367*).

Literature Wagner, Johanna. 1991. Das "dawa" der mamiwata (Ein moglicherweise pharmakologischer Aspekt des westafrikanischen Glaubens an Wassergeister.) Integration 1:61-63.