About Kratom

Scientific name: Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil.

Systematic botany:

Order: 

Gentianales (Enzianartige)

Family: 

Rubiaceae (Rötegewächse)

Subfamily:

Cinchonoideae

Tribe:

Naucleeae

Genus: 

Mitragyna

Species:  

Mitragyna speciosa

Description:

The Kratom tree, also known as Red Stenol tree, was first described by Pieter Willem Korthals, the official botanist of the Dutch East India Company, in 1839. This broadleaf tree grows about 3-15 meters tall, and is indigenous to southeast Asia. It originates/has its origin in Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), and Indonesia. Botanically, the Mitragyna speciosa is a member of the coffee family (Rubiaceae), which relates it to the popular brewed beverage on most of Europe’s breakfast tables. Not only coffee, but also cacao resembles Kratom in that both products contain the alkaloid Epicatechin. Synonyms for Kratom are (among others): Krathom (official Thai spelling), Biak, Ketum, Ithang, Kakuam, Biak-Biak, Krton, Mabog, and Mambog. The main alkaloids contained in the Kratom tree are Mitragynin (plant), and 7-Hydroxy-Speciociliatin (fruits). So far, over 25 alkaloids have been scientifically registered.

The most important alkaloids (alphabetically arranged):

  • Ajmalicine

  • Corynantheidine

  • Corynoxeine

  • Corynoxine A und B

  • (-)- Epicatechin

  • 9-Hydroxycorynantheidine

  • 7-Hydroxymitragynine

  • Isomitraphylline

  • Isopteropodine

  • Mitragynin

  • Mitraphylline

  • Paynantheine

  • Rynchophylline

  • Speciociliatine

  • Speciogynine

  • Speciophylline

  • Tetrahydroalstonine

Natural conditions necessary for growth:

The Kratom tree drops its leaves as soon as the temperature in its natural, tropical habitat drops to ca. 4 °C, or at periods of drought. The ideal conditions for the growth of Mitragyna speciosa are moist, boggy/swampy environment, humidity, and fertile, eutrophic/nutrient-rich soil. Kratom saplings should be protected from both high wind and the blazing sun. dropping its leaves at periods of drought, the Kratom tree grows even more leaves in the rains.

The leaves:

The leaves of the Kratom tree are oppositely arranged and divided into leaf stalk and leaf blade. Leaf stalks grow up to 4 cm, while the simple leaf grows 8,5-14 cm long and 5-10 cm wide.

There are 3 different sorts of leaves:

Red vein

White vein

Green vein

The sorts differ in their alkaloid proportions, which may lead to colour changes within the leaves. The amount of alkaloids within the Kratom leaves varies according to where, and under which circumstances the Kratom trees have grown.

Kratom can be aquired in the form of:

  • crushed leaves

  • pulverized/powdered leaves

  • powdered/pulverized or resinous/rosiny extract/essence

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