Pancratium of the Amaryllis Family
Aka Pancratium trianthum Herbert
Location: Warm Zones in Africa and Asia
Kwashi is a pretty flower that grows in tropical and warm climates. The flowers themselves are white, green or with a slight blueish hue and can span about 6 inches or more in diameter. It is of extreme religious importance in parts of Africa.
Kwashi has been very commonly used as a hallucinogen in older times and the bulb contains important alkaloids in the process (hordenine and lycorine). To use Kwashi as a hallucinogen, the bulbs are sliced and then rubbed over several cuts made in the actual scalp of the shaman or recreational user. Kwashi is very popular among the Bushmen of Dobe (Botswana).
It is important to note that many of the species of Pancratium are strong cardiace poisons, and can result in death by paralysis of the CNS (Central Nervous System).
