Synonyms
Snake cactus, queen of the night
Plant description
The plant forms aerial roots, covered with fine spines arranged in clusters. They ascend on rocks and walls, branching out in thin, bent, four to eight-edged branches. The large flowers grow from a wreath of coarse leaves.
These are brown-yellow to white on the outside. The petals enclose filamentous stamens, the flower smells of vanilla and blooms only for a very short time. It opens between 9 and 10 p.m. and blooms until the early morning hours, i.e. only at night (hence the name). Cacti are mainly at home in the tropical areas of America. There they grow wild, but are also cultivated in crops.
Medicinally used plant parts
Young stems and flowers. They are used to make a tincture.
Ingredients
Little research has been done so far, but an alkaloid, a cardiac glycoside and resins have been found.
Curative effect and application
The drug is found as a component of ready-to-use preparations for activating the circulation and for mild cardiac arrhythmia, also for angina pectoris and mild heart muscle weakness. Tea is not made from it.
Application in homeopathy
The mother tincture is extracted from the fresh juice of the stems and flowers. Cactus is one of the most important remedies for a narrowing of the coronary arteries with a feeling of tension and pressure in the heart area. Typical in patients is the congestion of blood in the head. Commonly used are the mother tincture and the potencies D2 and D3.
Side effects
No side effects are known so far.