| Entada rheedii | |
|---|---|
| Pod at Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Entada |
| Species: | E. rheedii |
| Binomial name | |
| Entada rheedii Spreng.[1] |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
E. pursaetha DC. |
|
Entada rheedii, commonly known as the African Dream Herb or Snuff Box Sea Bean, is a large woody liana or climber. It is often spelled as Entada rheedei, though the first and legitimate name was published as E. rheedii. The alternate spelling is to correctly honour Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Draakestein (1637–1691).[2]
The inner meat of the seed was either consumed directly, or the meat would be chopped, dried, mixed with other herbs like tobacco and smoked just before bedtime to induce vivid dreams.[3] Its seeds are found on east and southern African beaches, having grown on river and estuary banks and in swamp forest. They have thick and durable seed coats and can survive lengthy periods of immersion in seawater. These seeds are sought after as pieces of jewelry and as good-luck charms. As a result of its ready dispersal by sea, Entada rheedii is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical countries, but strangely not the Americas. These include Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Zaire, Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, KwaZulu-Natal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Queensland.
The plant is also used as a topical ointment against jaundice, toothache, ulcers and to treat muscular-skeletal problems.[4]