---
name: Tabernaemontana
molecule: C21H26N2O3
compound: "Tabernaemontanine"
era: Ancient
origin: South America, Africa
archetype: Freetekno
ancestor: Gabon
swag_score: 3
image: "https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/freetekno_gabon_tabernaemontana.webp"
date_added: "2025-01-12"
---

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://assets.0xhoneyjar.xyz/Mibera/traits/freetekno_gabon_tabernaemontana.webp" alt="Tabernaemontana" width="320" />
</div>


# Tabernaemontana

## Effects & Properties

**Effects:** Mild psychoactive properties, calming and stimulant effects,
depending on preparation and species. May cause lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate,
and mild sedation on lower doses.

**Natural Occurrence:** Found in species like Tabernaemontana
divaricata (widely distributed in Asia), Tabernaemontana pandacaqui (Southeast Asia, Pacific
Islands), and Tabernaemontana africana (Africa). It is used in traditional medicine for fever, pain,
and snakebites. Some species are used in rituals for their sedative or psychoactive effects.
**Appearance:** The plants typically have
glossy green leaves, white or cream-colored flowers, and woody roots or bark. Dried root bark
or leaves appear as brown to reddish-brown fibrous material, often ground into powder before
usage.

## History

Tabernaemontana species have been used in traditional medicine across Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia for centuries, with various species employed for treating pain, fever, infections, and snakebites. The genus was named by French botanist Charles Plumier in honor of the 16th-century German herbalist Jakob Theodor von Bergzabern (Latinized as Tabernaemontanus). In the Bwiti tradition of Gabon and Cameroon, certain Tabernaemontana species are used alongside Tabernanthe iboga in ritual contexts, and modern pharmacological research has identified numerous bioactive alkaloids with potential applications in treating neurodegenerative diseases and addiction.

## Connections

**Archetype:** [Freetekno](../../../core-lore/archetypes.md#freetekno)

**Ancestor:** [Gabon](../../../core-lore/ancestors/gabon.md)

**Tarot Card:** [The Chariot](../../../core-lore/tarot-cards/the-chariot.md)

**PubChem:** [Tabernaemontanine](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Tabernaemontanine)

**Paired With:** [Ibogaine](ibogaine.md)

## Sources

- https://www.erowid.org/plants/tabernaemontana/tabernaemontana.shtml
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabernaemontana
- [Jacobus Theodorus Tabernaemontanus - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobus_Theodorus_Tabernaemontanus) — Jakob Theodor von Bergzabern, 16th-century German herbalist for whom the genus is named
- [Major Bioactive Alkaloids and Biological Activities of Tabernaemontana Species (PMC)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7915066/) — bioactive alkaloids, antimicrobial, anticholinesterase, antineurodegenerative activities
- [Ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of Tabernaemontana divaricata (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18577786/) — traditional medicine uses for fever, pain, snakebites
- [New Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids from Tabernaemontana crassa Inhibit beta-Amyloid42 Production (MDPI)](https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1487) — neurodegenerative disease research, Alzheimer pathways