Plant that provoked search for the Spice Islands
Name: Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
Otherwise known as: Nux Moschata
Habitat: An evergreen tree member of the Myristicaceae family, growing up to 10m in rich soil in humid conditions in Indonesia. The plant displays deep green, spear-shaped aromatic leaves with tiny yellow flowers. It does not fruit until it is eight years old but will continue to do so for the next 60 years. The fruit comes in three parts: a woody seed casing that is eaten as a confectionery surrounding the nutmeg, which in turn is coated by the aril, better known as mace, this is red when fresh, and becomes yellow during the drying process. The fruit is picked when ripe and the nutmeg and mace are separated and dried. Mace and nutmeg are narcotic and excessive consumption has led to fatalities.
What does it do: If ever there was a plant that inspired merchants and proved irresistible to navigators it was nutmeg. The fortunes of Venice, Genoa, Madrid, Lisbon, London and Amsterdam were built on the back of this plant. It had been traded for hundreds of years between the Indians and the Arabs but its source was a mystery until Marco Polo referred to it in his “Travels”, which inspired the search for the “spice islands”. The Venetians controlled the spice trade in Europe but were dependant on the Arabs for the supply. In l499, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama returned to Lisbon with a shipload of spices, including nutmeg and mace that he obtained in India. The resultant fluctuation in prices shocked the Venetian spice traders. The Portuguese then destroyed the Arab trade routes and consequently ruined the Venetian markets. Ferdinand Magellan then persuaded the Spanish court that he should undertake an expedition to discover the “spice islands”, and while he perished during the voyage, his crew returned with enough nutmeg to fully justify the Spanish investment. The wealth generated by the nutmeg trade attracted the attention of the wily Dutch, who by invading the islands and enslaving the inhabitants secured the trade for 100 years.
The main constituents are monoterpene hydrocarbons, mainly camphene, pinene, cymene and myristicin. It is a prostaglandin inhibitor, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhoeal, sedative, brain and digestive stimulant.
In India nutmeg is used to increase sexual stamina and ground to a paste to be applied topically for eczema and ringworm. The Chinese use it as a cure for diarrhoea and to relieve abdominal pains. Western herbalists recommend it to treat nausea, vomiting, digestive disorders and gastroenteritis. High doses of nutmeg are toxic and hallucinogenic. In the 60s cannabis users were persuaded to experiment with this herb when their drug of choice was in short supply, which led to some serious psychological disorders. It has been used in prisons for decades when the regime exercises controls over drug abuse by inmates: many of the fatalities associated with nutmeg have occurred in these circumstances.
Next week Ephedra
