View source for Nicotiana rustica

{{short description|Species of plant}}
{{speciesbox
|image = Nicotiana_rustica_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-226.jpg
|genus = Nicotiana
|species = rustica
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]<ref>{{GRIN | accessdate=2008-03-17}}</ref>
}}

'''''Nicotiana rustica''''', commonly known as '''Aztec tobacco'''<ref>{{PLANTS|id=NIRU|taxon=Nicotiana rustica|accessdate=20 July 2015}}</ref> or '''strong tobacco''',<ref name=BSBI07>{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17}}</ref> is a [[rainforest]] plant in the family [[Solanaceae]].  It is a very potent variety of [[tobacco]], containing up to nine times more [[nicotine]] than common species of ''[[Nicotiana]]'' such as ''[[Nicotiana tabacum]]'' (common tobacco).<ref name="Rapé study">{{cite journal |last1=Stanfill |first1=Stephen B. |last2=Oliveira da Silva |first2=André Luiz |last3=Lisko |first3=Joseph G. |last4=Lawler |first4=Tameka S. |last5=Kuklenyik |first5=Peter |last6=Tyx |first6=Robert E. |last7=Peuchen |first7=Elizabeth H. |last8=Richter |first8=Patricia |last9=Watson |first9=Clifford H. |title=Comprehensive chemical characterization of Rapé tobacco products: Nicotine, un-ionized nicotine, tobacco-specific N′-nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and flavor constituents |journal=Food and Chemical Toxicology |date=August 2015 |volume=82 |pages=50–58 |doi=10.1016/j.fct.2015.04.016 |pmid=25934468 |pmc=5704902 }}</ref> More specifically, ''N. rustica'' leaves have a nicotine content as high as 9%, whereas [[Nicotiana tabacum|''N. tabacum'']] leaves contain about 1 to 3%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://artsci.wustl.edu/~gjfritz/Nicotiana_sp.html |title=Nicotiana sp. |first1=Katherine M. |last1=Roberts |publisher=artsci.wustl.edu |access-date=2008-03-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906115744/http://artsci.wustl.edu/~gjfritz/Nicotiana_sp.html |archive-date=2008-09-06 }}{{self-published inline|date=September 2022}}</ref> The high concentration of nicotine in its leaves makes it useful for producing [[pesticide]]s, and it has a wide variety of uses specific to cultures around the world. However, ''N. rustica'' is no longer cultivated in its native [[North America]], (except in small quantities by certain Native American tribes) as [[Nicotiana tabacum|''N. tabacum'']] has replaced it.<ref name="ley196512">{{Cite magazine
 |last=Ley
 |first=Willy
 |date=December 1965
 |title=The Healthfull Aromatick Herbe
 |department=For Your Information
 |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction
 |pages=88–98
}}</ref>

==Uses==
===South America===
''Nicotiana rustica'' is called ''mapacho'' in South America. It is often used for [[entheogen]]ic purposes by [[South America]]n [[Shamanism|shamans]],<ref>{{cite book | date = 1992 | title = Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge - A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution | publisher = Bantam | isbn = 978-0-553-37130-7 | page = 196 | chapter = Shamanic Tobaccos}}</ref> because of its high nicotine content and comparatively high levels of [[beta-carboline]]s, including the [[harmala alkaloid]]s [[harmane]] and [[norharmane]].<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Economic Botany | date = 1976 | volume = 30 | issue = 3 | pages = 295–297 | title = Nicotiana an hallucinogen? | author = Oscar Janiger and Marlene Dobkin de Rios | doi=10.1007/bf02909739| s2cid = 774652 }}</ref> There are many methods of administration in South American [[Ethnobotany|ethnobotanical]] preparations. In a preparation known as ''singado'' or ''singa'', ''N. rustica'' is allowed to soak or be infused in water, and the water is then [[insufflation (medicine)|insufflated]] into the stomach. In Peru its known as "Mapacho"  and smoked in pipes, the juice is also drunk for its hallucinogenic effects. The plant is also smoked in [[cigar]]s, used in [[enema]]s, and made into a lickable product known as ''ambil''. Finally, ''N. rustica'' is a common ingredient in ''rapé'', a [[smokeless tobacco]] product usually used as a nasal [[Snuff (tobacco)|snuff]]. ''Rapé'' is often a combination of ''N. rustica'' and a host of other herbs, depending on the intended use, including [[tonka bean]]s, [[cinnamon]], [[clove]] buds, [[alkaline]] ashes<ref name="Rapé study" /> (creating ''[[nu-nu]]''), [[Anadenanthera]], [[Erythroxylum]], [[Virola]], and more.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilbert |first=J |date=1991 |title=Effects of Nicotine on Biological Systems |publisher=Birkhauser Verlag |page=11 |isbn=978-3-0348-7459-5}}</ref>

===Russia===
In Russia, ''N. rustica'' is called ''makhorka'' (маxорка). Historically, makhorka was smoked mainly by the lower classes. ''N. rustica'' is a hardy plant and can be grown in most of Russia (as opposed to ''N. virginiana'' which requires a warm climate), it was more readily and cheaply available, and did not depend on transport in a country with an underdeveloped road network and climatic portage problems. This remained the case until ordinary tobacco became widely available in the 20th century. During [[History of the Soviet Union|Soviet times]], rustic tobacco was an important [[industrial crop]] of agriculture. In those times, dozens of varieties were bred, some of them considered equal in quality to ''N. virginiana''. In modern times, makhorka is still sometimes smoked by peasants and farmers due to its high availability and being almost free for them.

===Vietnam===
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2011}}
[[File:Hút thuốc lào.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A man smoking thuốc lào with a bamboo pipe]]
The plant is called ''Thuốc lào'' in Vietnam, and is most commonly smoked after a meal on a full stomach to "aid indigestion", or along with [[green tea]] or local beer (most commonly the cheap [[bia hơi]]). A "rít" of thuốc lào is followed by a flood of [[nicotine]] to the [[Circulatory system|bloodstream]] inducing strong dizziness that lasts several seconds. Heavy cigarette smokers have had trouble with the intense volume of smoke and the high nicotine content; side effects include nausea and vomiting.

There are many “brands” of tobacco, most of which are specific to the region in which they are grown. Some of these “brands” are mellow in flavor and effect, some are more energizing, and some are known for their relaxing properties. 

Water pipes can be found everywhere, and are a fixture of local tea booths, eateries, and cafes. It is common to find a table with a small box of tobacco at these establishments from which anyone can help themselves to a bowl during a tea or work break. 

Travelers have made the mistake of hitting these pipes too hard on their first attempt, leading to them passing out, much to the delight and amusement of the locals. It is not uncommon for locals to offer the pipe to a foreigner in hopes of seeing the powerful effect the tobacco has on the uninitiated. 

The main difference between smoking thuốc lào and the use of other tobaccos is in the method of consumption, in that thuốc lào is consumed with a [[bong|water pipe]]. The smoker is presented with either a bamboo pipe called a ''điếu cày'' (English: "farmer's pipe") or a ceramic [[hookah]] called a ''điếu bát''. It may also occasionally be smoked in a more uncommon pipe known as a ''điếu ống''. The pipe is filled with an appropriate amount of water and a small amount of thuốc lào is pressed into the bowl.

[[File:SacredTobacco.jpg|thumb|right|Flowering ''Nicotiana rustica'']]
[[File:Cánh đồng thuốc lào - Nicotiana rustica field.JPG|thumb|''Nicotiana rustica'' field in [[Quảng Xương]] district, [[Thanh Hóa province]], [[Vietnam]] ]]
One then ignites the tobacco and inhales to create a body of smoke inside the pipe, before exhaling the smoke, reversing the process of air in the pipe by blowing into it to pop out the tobacco. The smoker then sharply inhales, usually tilting the pipe upwards to an almost horizontal position (but not completely, as the water would drain into the mouth).

===Turkey===
''Maraş otu'' (English: Maraş weed) is a [[Chewing tobacco|chewing]] variant of ''Nicotiana rustica'' commonly used by people who live in [[Kahramanmaraş|Maraş]], Turkey and other areas of the country. Maraş Otu is a mixture of [[Oak tree]] ash and ''Nicotiana rustica'' that resembles [[henna]].  They use this by putting the mixture under their lips like Swedish ''[[snus]]'' or Afghan ''[[naswar]]''. It is recognized as a drug by anti-drug activists.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.uyusturucu.info.tr/maras_otu.asp | title=Uyuşturucu}}</ref> It can contribute to mouth cancers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Idris |first1=A.M. |last2=Prokopczyk |first2=B. |last3=Hoffmann |first3=D. |title=Toombak: A Major Risk Factor for Cancer of the Oral Cavity in Sudan |journal=Preventive Medicine |date=November 1994 |volume=23 |issue=6 |pages=832–839 |doi=10.1006/pmed.1994.1141 |pmid=7855117 }}</ref>

===Sudan===
In [[Sudan]], this type of tobacco is called toombak ({{lang-ar|توومباك}}).  It has been used for over 400 years. Being [[smokeless tobacco]], it is processed in the loose form and the ground powder is mixed with [[sodium bicarbonate]]. As such, it has a very strong pH and is highly addictive.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Idris |first1=A. M |last2=Ibrahim |first2=S. O |last3=Vasstrand |first3=E. N |last4=Johannessen |first4=A. C |last5=Lillehaug |first5=J. R |last6=Magnusson |first6=B |last7=Wallström |first7=M |last8=Hirsch |first8=J. -M |last9=Nilsen |first9=R |title=The Swedish Snus and the Sudanese Toombak: are they different? |journal=Oral Oncology |date=1 November 1998 |volume=34 |issue=6 |pages=558–566 |doi=10.1016/S1368-8375(98)00047-5 |pmid=9930371 |hdl=1956/2153 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

==References==
{{Commons category|Nicotiana rustica}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q602633}}

[[Category:Entheogens]]
[[Category:Nicotiana|rustica]]
[[Category:Herbal and fungal stimulants]]
[[Category:Plant toxin insecticides]]
[[Category:Tobacco]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Crops originating from Peru]]