Research Acacia floribunda - Workspace and information

[acacian]

I'm excited to share my latest floribunda test .. for a couple reasons. The first being, that the yield was by far the highest and seemingly cleanest I've found in the phyllode .. at 0.67% (1.02g from 152g phyllode), the second being that it was from a smaller, more prostrate and foliage abundant variety. If this is a form thing, then this could possibly be a very good variety to cultivate as it has an abundance of foliage that if consistent will be a very sustainable source in the garden which can live a long healthy life. Although more tests need to be done.

Bioassay last night very successful

 

[CheeseCat]

Impressive yield! Really nice looking prostrate tree, exceptional research bro. You must be getting your extraction tek super dialled in and efficient by now too. I’ve got my eyes on a couple of unique specimens that need testing, they should go to seed real soon.

 

[acacian]

Impressive yield! Really nice looking prostrate tree, exceptional research bro. You must be getting your extraction tek super dialled in and efficient by now too. I’ve got my eyes on a couple of unique specimens that need testing, they should go to seed real soon.

Thanks, @CheeseCat ! I have been doing a bit of tinkering with different approaches.. fairly standard A/B works pretty well with floribunda - but extra cleaning steps during the acidic phase helps in cleaning up the extract. Backsalting the alkaloids from solvent into dilute acid, re-basifying/extracting with fresh solvent, has given me the cleanest extract so far. That or a very thorough defat as I did with the above phyllode test. But I think the double A/B result is cleaner - you just need to be thorough in making sure your getting all of your alkaloids out of the solvent.

Below some pretty floribunda crystal formations. Unfortunately they didn't solidify and remained a clear oil - but still the cleanest extract I've had from the species. Effects are stunning at higher doses.. but then DMT is always pretty stunning.

Interestingly there is something in the extracts that is not soluble in cool-ish DCM when trying to redissolve. It leaves behind an off white waxy looking substance. I can only get it to dissolve with warm solvent. DMT is very soluble in room temperature DCM so my guess is that cooled extraction from the basic solution may help omit whatever compound that might be. That is, whether it even need be removed.

 

[CheeseCat]

Interesting, so do you prefer DCM to Toluene?

I was thinking of giving DCM a go. Is it a standard A/B tek still or are there changes? From memory DCM doesn't sit on top of the basic solution

 

[acacian]

I prefer DCM to anything else I’ve tried thus far. Toluene takes a lifetime to evap.. DCM disappears before your eyes. And it pulls more! It can have it’s own issues .. but I will go into those after I finish work.

 

[CheeseCat]

That'd be great. I remember you saying the smell is localised too which is a positive.

 

[acacian]

To finish the post from before: DCM more than other solvents I've found can be quite prone to emulsions. Particularly if using a plant source that produces an abundance of precipitates during the basic stage. ,The usual trick for emulsions is hot water bath - but since DCM has such a low boiling point, it can easily start boiling off if your "bath" is a little on the hot side. Same goes for adding large amounts of lye that heat the solution drastically - it will start boiling your DCM very easily. That said, there's no real need to use a hot solution when working with DCM as all compounds of interest are ridiculously soluble in it - and if your volume of liquid is low then large amounts of lye are unnecessary.

But keep an eye on the temp of your hot water bath if you decide to go that route with emulsions. I find that cleaning/filtering of solution during the acidic phase usually prevents emulsions later. I now spend a great deal of time during this stage getting it 'right' and it makes the world of difference.

 

[CheeseCat]

Some recent photos of a nice looking floribunda. Tree is untested at this stage. I haven't seen seed pods this long on floribunda before, I'd say they're about 15cm long. I'll check back in 3 weeks or so to see if they're ripe. Interesting tree.

The last photo is of a variety of phyllodes all from one floribunda tree which is active. Notice the leathery appearance. You can see the veins are engraved into the exterior of the phyllodes. Not a definitive marker but one that I look out for.

 

[acacian]

Thanks for the photos, @CheeseCat . Curious what the environment was like that the leathery phyllode tree was growing in? I’ve noticed more leathery phyllodes in drier/harsher environments. Doesn’t seem to be an indicator of activity.

I’ve updated the OP to include the findings and conclusions established in the thread thus far. I think we’ve established a pretty good criteria for the active form now. Grateful to all who have contributed. So I’d like to outline a more up to date comparison of active/inactive forms below:

Active form/s:

• Variable phyllode length and width in single specimens. Often much broader phyllodes than inactive form. Even on trees with narrower phyllodes, they lack uniformity.
• 3 primary nerves, with the middle nerve slightly more prominent. 6-10 secondary longitudinal nerves with prominent anastomoses - particularly with broader phyllodes
• Tends to grow much taller and less prostrate; single trunk often exceeding 10m In height, with foliage sometimes much higher up. Usually less prostrate than the commonly cultivated form. Most recent test showed that bushy form can be highly active, with all other features consistent with established type characteristics.
• More prominent lenticels on the bark than cultivars
• Bark brown and rough feeling to the touch. Smooth, but less so to the tough in comparison to common cultivar - which tends to have a very smooth shin to it.
• Phyllodes arrange further down the stem and ends of branches often weeping
• New growth has soft white stems, and the phyllodes a white outline -this is due to presence of appressed hairs on margins of new growth. Consequently, tops have an overall white coloring to them. Inactive form perhaps a more “army green” colour to new growth.
• Older trees can be huge
• Phyllodes broader at ends of branches, often narrower as they progress down stem. This likely contributes to the willowy habit.

Inactive form/s:

• Uniform phyllode length and width. Little to no variation present within a specimen
• Less lenticels present on bark
• 1-3 primary nerves: much less visible (particularly the two slightly lesser primary nerves). 6-10 secondary longitudinal nerves. Anastomoses between longitudinal nerves much less prominent and at times almost absent.. even with broader phyllodes.
• Usually doesn’t exceed 5-6m in height and usually splits at the base into 2-3 main trunks. Trees don’t get especially big.. they seem to hit a “cap” as far as size. I think they probably don’t live as long
• Foliage does not weep as much; due to the way the phyllodes are arranged on the stem
• Flowers tend to be more yellow
• Slightly different colored foliage. New growth/tops lack the white appearance of the active form
• Bark is often more shiny grey
• Phyllodes usually narrower

 

[CheeseCat]

Very nice @acacian. Yeah, the tree was in a pretty dry environment, full sun exposure so that could likely be it.

New growth has soft white stems, and the phyllodes a white outline -this is due to presence of appressed hairs on margins of new growth. Consequently, tops have an overall white coloring to them.

Would be good to see a photo of this if possible?

I came across this acacia on facebook and it was ID’d as an Acacia jennerae. No idea if it's correct but it actually looks quite similar to the active floribunda I found last year, the new growth that is. I'm wondering if the floribunda I found might be a hybrid?

 

[acacian]

@CheeseCat Acacia jennerae is a pearler! Very similar to Acacia pendula but phyllodes a bit broader. I would love to grow one of these! Can’t believe I haven’t seen it before.

Below an image for you that I think is a good example of the abundance of whites in the tops - this is from abundance of appressed hairs on new growth phyllodes and new growth stems soft and more white before they mature into brown. This is all the more accentuated by the general lighter green that new foliage tends to have. I’ll get a photo of new growth on inactive form tomorrow.. it tends to be more yellowy at the tips.

Overall I think this whiteness can be seen on most of the foliage with the active form. The abundance of appressed hairs seem to reflect the sunlight too.. giving it an overall shine.

The below video is a perfect example. Notice the really light soft twigs.. this softness on new twigs also contributes to it weeping from the weight of the phyllodes bending it. The new growth starts growing upwards but bends as more phyllodes arrange along it’s axis.. this gives it that cascading willow look; as can be clearly seen in the photo of the beloved white willow below.

View attachment IMG_5377.mov

 

[CheeseCat]

Gotcha. So like this...

 

[acacian]

Hmm.. bit different to what I meant. Most floribunda will get some degree of appressed hairs. It's more of an overall white hue that the tree gives off from the new growth if that makes sense.

See below:

 

[brendan]

Hi, I would like to give some information on my experiments with this tree years ago that I would like to pass on. After pulling 4 times at a PH of 13 by recycling a large amount of the same solvent into a vinegar backsalt. (solvent was yellow) I then did a second AB and pulled 4 times with much less solvent(solvent was now clear) and combined the solvents. I then bubbled the solvent with carbon dioxide to clean out the NMT, (to do this connect a tube to a sodastream or just use dry ice). Then I did another backsalt. Then I did a 3rd AB and did 3 pulls each at 4 different PH levels, at 9,10,11 and 12. This is a way of separating out the phenethylamines. 9 and 10 were both mostly DMT but the PH of 11 extraction gave what I can only call a black and white dmt trip which ended in looking like thousands of diamonds under my eyelids with lady's in dresses running ontop after them and trying to pick them up. I gave it to another person and they concluded the same type of trip also.

 

[acacian]

Hi, I would like to give some information on my experiments with this tree years ago that I would like to pass on. After pulling 4 times at a PH of 13 by recycling a large amount of the same solvent into a vinegar backsalt. (solvent was yellow) I then did a second AB and pulled 4 times with much less solvent(solvent was now clear) and combined the solvents. I then bubbled the solvent with carbon dioxide to clean out the NMT, (to do this connect a tube to a sodastream or just use dry ice). Then I did another backsalt. Then I did a 3rd AB and did 3 pulls each at 4 different PH levels, at 9,10,11 and 12. This is a way of separating out the phenethylamines. 9 and 10 were both mostly DMT but the PH of 11 extraction gave what I can only call a black and white dmt trip which ended in looking like thousands of diamonds under my eyelids with lady's in dresses running ontop after them and trying to pick them up. I gave it to another person and they concluded the same type of trip also.

Thanks for sharing your experience @brendan

How was the extract after removing the alkaloids? Did you achieve a crystaline structure or did it remain an oil? Which don’t prefer? With other alkaloids or without?