[rather unscientific] P. harmala leaves and twigs experiment

[Jagube]

I have a rue plant in my ethnobotanical garden. It's still young and hasn't produced seed.

Last winter I cut some dead twigs, from what I remember it was around 250 g 'fresh' (as in not dried) and extracted them.
In October of this year, I cut 220 g of fresh (and still green, but already browning at the tips) leaves and twigs and extracted them.

I combined the extracts and the weight came to merely 20 mg.
Not very promising, but the winter twigs may have been inactive and the October ones may not have been at their peak alkaloid content. I might try again in the summer.

 

[dithyramb]

Here is one study I know of which analyzes different parts of the plant at various stages of development post germination, but not in winter. It is quite certain that winter material will be weaker as the plants metabolism stops and the aerial parts die out in winter. Still, the measured alkaloid concentrations of stems and leaves in this study in spring and summer are quite low.

Two years ago I did two high dose experiments with robust and vibrantly green spring stems and leaves. It was different than and similar to seeds in effects. It was harsher both in physical + energetic feel and also in spirit (so much more stern and unforgiving voice talking to you about getting your life in order). It had the same visionary style as the seeds of this strain - everything morphing back and forth into triangular patterns and pyramids. The second time I had intended to combine it with a DMT plant but couldn't get myself to do it from a lack of balls and also it didn't feel quite right. Ultimately I did not feel a call to pursue aerial parts for drinking purposes any further.

 

[modern]

Did you have a dry winter? Here the caapi has been studied quite a bit and alkaloid content in the caapi is highest during start of winter and lowest start of summer. But unlike in the states with extreme cold most of Brazil considered winter the 'dry season' and summer the 'rainy season'. There have also been papers on psychotria alkaloid content and the main factor is always the drought period mostly accompanied with cooler weather rather than high heat. There are some that tested high heat and drought and lead to lower content in some instances.

But some plants are the opposite and I'd imagine that true desert plant or semi arid plants would be highest content during the dry hot summer since that is when they would be the most stressed and 'vulnerable'.

 

[Jagube]

Did you have a dry winter?

No, winters are wet here and it makes sense that the twigs would be devoid of alkaloids.
I've also heard that DMT-containing Acacias have the highest DMT content after periods of drought.