Dream herb
Calea ternifoliaAsteraceae // leaves
Also known as: Calea zacatechichi, bitter grass
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
leaves
Known constituents
sesquiterpene lactones; no single established oneiric constituent
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include sesquiterpene lactones; no single established oneiric constituent; broad class: uncertain; possible CNS effects.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
C. zacatechichi is commonly treated as a synonym; commercial species identity is uncertain.
MODERATE · Safety of Aqueous Extract of Calea ternifolia Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- Caution
Safety severity is MODERATE: human safety data are sparse; in vitro/animal signals do not establish safe use
Intrinsic toxicity · MODERATE · Safety of Aqueous Extract of Calea ternifolia Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is MODERATE: human safety data are sparse; in vitro/animal signals do not establish safe use
MODERATE · Safety of Aqueous Extract of Calea ternifolia Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF lists Alloispermum liebmannii (Sch.Bip. ex Klatt) H.Rob. as a taxonomic synonym of Calea ternifolia.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
Calea zacatechichi, bitter grass
Traditions
Chontal (Chontal de Oaxaca) traditional reports
Oaxaca, Mexico // 20th-century ethnobotanical reports // traditional reports and modern interpretation
Ethnobotanical
Dream herb is documented in Chontal (Chontal de Oaxaca) traditional reports in Oaxaca, Mexico for dream divination and folk medicine.
LOW · Safety of Aqueous Extract of Calea ternifolia Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine
Ritual
Documented functions include divinatory, healing, dream; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
LOW · Safety of Aqueous Extract of Calea ternifolia Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Not federally scheduled; product law still applies.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
peer-reviewed article
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database