Common Name: Intoxicating Mint

General Information

Lagochilus inebrians is a perennial plant usually growing around 25 - 40cm tall. It produces a clump of numerous stems that become woody at their base; these stems can be either branched or unbranched[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Centraal Asia - Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Habitat

Steppes[]. Submontane plains and low foothills, on pebble-beds and fluviatile outwash, gravelly slopes, in wormwood-grass and wormwood-forb associations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it experiences very cold winters in its native range[] and so should be completely cold-hardy in this country. The main problem it is likely to face is with our cool damp weather. It comes from a sunny and fairly arid region of the world with a continental climate and so it is likely to require a very sunny position in a well-drained dry soil.

Edible Uses

A bitter-tasting tea is made from the dried branches, it is usually sweetened with sugar before being drunk[]. The tea is drunk especially during celebrations for its intoxicating and sedative effects[]. Its most commonly reported effects include a feeling of
relaxation, euphoria, and subtle perceptual changes[]. See also the notes on medicinal uses below.

Medicinal

The branches are antispasmodic, haemostatic, hallucinogenic, hypotensive and sedative[].
An infusion is used internally in the treatment of allergic dermatosis and the shrub has also been used to treat skin disorders[, ].
The branches are harvested in the autumn after flowering and are dried for later use[]. They become more fragrant and medicinally more active once they have been dried[].

The plant contains lagochilin, an alkaloid of medicinal value[].

A decoction of the herb is used internally in folk medicine as a styptic[]

A decoction of the root is used externally in folk medicine as a styptic[]

A decoction of herb and roots of Lagochilus species is used in folk medicine as a styptic and also against skin conditions, stomach pain, and as tranquilizers[]. Many species of the Lagochilus genus have been used in traditional medicine to treat haemorrhages and inflammation[]

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - We have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in the spring. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer and consider giving them some protection from winter rain[].