Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: Stephenb on January 21, 2010, 08:06:22 AM

Title: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Stephenb on January 21, 2010, 08:06:22 AM
Galanthophiles are people addicted to snowdrops. Correct?

Galantamine, the drug extracted from Galanthus woronowii (and other species) is used it seems to treat memory loss and the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (based on local ethnobotanical knowledge in this species' range).

It seems also that some people who practice lucid dream (LD) or out-of-body experience (OBE) use galantamine to increase their odds to achieve LD or OBE (Wikipedia)

Hypothesis: The out-of-body type experiences reported on the Galanthus area of the forum are due to ingestion of Galantamine through long-term over-handling of snowdrops. This leads to LD and OBE and subsequently Galanthophiles become addicted to snowdrops through the search for steadily stronger and stronger lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences. A vicious circle leading to the observed OBEs which appears so strange to many of us outsiders.... There is I think also evidence that memory is also enhanced.

Discuss  ;)

Serious question: Galanthus woronowii - is this species available and easy to grow? Anyone like to help this potential convert on his way to Galanthophilia?
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: KentGardener on January 21, 2010, 08:12:03 AM
So its the snowdrops fault - nothing to do with my addictive personality or being a Pisces. 

Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Sinchets on January 21, 2010, 08:13:55 AM
I don't think it just has to be G.woronowii, Steven. G.nivalis and G.elwesii are both collected and used in folk remedies here in Bulgaria for memory loss.
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: vivienr on January 21, 2010, 08:30:16 AM
Stephen, I think the pharmaceutical industry is now getting its galanthamine from Narcissus as it is much more cost effective- that's no excuse for not growing snowdrops though. I bought some Woronowii from a garden centre several years ago but have not seen many since. Last year there were losts of Elwesii about but this year the garden centres haven't got anything in yet.

Bit of info about Galanthamine sources -

www.springerlink.com/content/w135161671830610/ (http://www.springerlink.com/content/w135161671830610/)
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Stephenb on January 21, 2010, 04:42:50 PM
Thanks for the comments all! Yes, it seems there are many bulbs containing Galanthamine, but woronowii was the first in which it was found. And thanks to KG I will soon be the proud owner of Voronov's Snowdrop, something that wasn't in my remotest imagination when I got up this morning! And yet another interesting story to add to the garden...
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: TheOnionMan on January 21, 2010, 05:07:47 PM
It seems also that some people who practice lucid dream (LD) or out-of-body experience (OBE) use galantamine to increase their odds to achieve LD or OBE (Wikipedia)

Hypothesis: The out-of-body type experiences reported on the Galanthus area of the forum are due to ingestion of Galantamine through long-term over-handling of snowdrops. This leads to LD and OBE and subsequently Galanthophiles become addicted to snowdrops through the search for steadily stronger and stronger lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences.
Serious question: Galanthus woronowii - is this species available and easy to grow? Anyone like to help this potential convert on his way to Galanthophilia?

My new Starry-Eyed Galathospecs seem to be rather strong; already had 3 out-of-body experiences today!
I'm feeling a bit queasy.    :o :-X
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: johnw on January 21, 2010, 05:15:44 PM
Galanthus 'McMark mit grünen Haaren' ?

johnw
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Stephenb on January 21, 2010, 05:45:06 PM
I don't believe it - I haven't even received the Galanthus yet and I'm seeing wondrous things....
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: annew on January 21, 2010, 07:14:17 PM
I would send some G. woronowii but I've forgotten where I put them... ::)
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Stephenb on January 21, 2010, 07:22:24 PM
 :)
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Maggi Young on January 21, 2010, 07:26:03 PM
I would send some G. woronowii but I've forgotten where I put them... ::)
Have a look to see if they're under the Ginko biloba, Anne....... ::)
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: annew on January 21, 2010, 07:43:13 PM
Yes, I actually have one of those somewhere.
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Maggi Young on January 21, 2010, 07:54:48 PM
Yes, I actually have one of those somewhere.
I thought as much... go out, wander around for a bit, you'll bump into something, it'll be like a tree.... look under it!  ;D
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: TheOnionMan on January 21, 2010, 09:13:29 PM
Now I'm starting to experience galanthotropic hallucinations... I may need help soon.   :P
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Diane Clement on January 21, 2010, 10:00:57 PM
Now I'm starting to experience galanthotropic hallucinations... I may need help soon.   :P

how much do you think it will fetch on Ebay?  ;D
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Maggi Young on January 22, 2010, 12:51:19 AM
Now I'm starting to experience galanthotropic hallucinations... I may need help soon.   :P

how much do you think it will fetch on Ebay?  ;D

 I'm trying to remember how much the cornflake with the picture of Che Guevara fetched...... .this has to be worth more, doesn't it?  :D
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: KentGardener on January 22, 2010, 01:08:14 AM
Not sure I remember the Che Guevara Cornflake - I remember the cornflake shaped like Illinois that sold for $1,350 and the 'Virgin Mary burnt Toast' ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4034787.stm ) that sold for $28,000 - but the Che Guevara cornflake is a new one to me.   ;D
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: TheOnionMan on January 29, 2010, 01:23:51 AM
Unusual variation in a snowdrop experienced today, or was it just another lucid dream?  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Rodger Whitlock on January 29, 2010, 01:47:45 AM
To answer Stephen's question about the availability of Galanthus woronowii, it's widely sold here in the fall. It's even under the right name, believe it or not!

According to the Bishop, Davis, and Grimshaw "Snowdrops", these are wild bulbs harvested in the republic of Georgia, notably in Adjaria, the southwestern autonomous republic that bumps up against Turkey along the Black Sea.

This link  (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.71188,42.118835&spn=0.910342,1.763306&t=p&z=9) shows you approximately where Adjaria is.
Title: Re: Snowdrop addiction
Post by: Sinchets on January 30, 2010, 12:57:10 PM
I wonder if this is represents sustainable wildcollecting of bulbs?
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