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Turnera diffusa, known as damiana, is a shrub native to southern Texas in the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Passifloraceae.
Damiana is a relatively small, woody shrub that produces small, aromatic flowers. It blossoms in early to late summer, followed by fruits that taste similar to figs. The shrub is said to have a strong spice-like odor somewhat like chamomile, due to the aromatic compounds present in the plant.
Damiana is traditionally used in Mexico Liqueur and Margarita, historically featured in 19th-century Patent medicine as an alleged aphrodisiac, and today is valued in Herbal tea and smoking blends for its Anxiolytic and mild psychoactive effects. It contains a complex mix of Phytochemical—including Flavonoid like apigenin and acacetin, Terpenoid, phenolics, cyanogenic Glycoside, and others. It serves as a host plant for the Mexican fritillary ( Euptoieta hegesia), a butterfly.
Many Plant and seeds sold as T. diffusa are actually Turnera ulmifolia (“false damiana”), a different species with different chemical properties and uses, and this misidentification mostly happens in Horticulture sales, not in Herbal medicine markets.
Damiana was included in several 19th-century , such as Pemberton's French Wine Coca. The leaves were omitted from that product's non-alcoholic counterpart, Coca-Cola. In folklore, the plant was believed to be an aphrodisiac, hence its sometimes used binomial synonym, Turnera aphrodisiaca.
Beyond its historical use in drinks, Damiana continues to be a valued herb for its ability to induce relaxation and improve emotional well-being. It is commonly found in modern herbal teas and smoking blends, where it is used for its calming, mild psychoactive effects.
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