Turnera diffusa

{{Short description|Species of shrub}} {{Redirect|Damiana|the restaurant in Mexico|Damiana (restaurant)}} {{Speciesbox |image = Turnera diffusa var. aphrodisiaca 002.JPG |image_caption = ''Turnera diffusa'' var. ''aphrodisiaca'' |genus = Turnera |species = diffusa |authority = Willd. ex Schult.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=22215 |taxon=''Turnera diffusa'' |access-date=2011-01-29}}</ref> |subdivision_ranks = Varieties |subdivision_ref = <ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | access-date=2012-01-03}}</ref> |subdivision = ''T. d.'' var. ''aphrodisiaca'' (G.H.Ward) Urb. ''T. d.'' var. ''diffusa'' |synonyms_ref=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:836578-1#synonyms |title=''Turnera diffusa'' Willd. ex Schult. |author= |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=4 September 2020 }}</ref> |synonyms={{collapsible list| * ''Bohadschia humifusa'' C.Presl * ''Bohadschia microphylla'' Griseb. * ''Triacis microphylla'' (Desv.) Griseb. * ''Turnera aphrodisiaca'' Ward * ''Turnera diffusa'' var. ''aphrodisiaca'' (Ward) Urb. * ''Turnera humifusa'' Endl. ex Walp. * ''Turnera microphylla'' Desv. * ''Turnera pringlei'' Rose }} }} thumb|''Turnera diffusa'' var. ''aphrodisiaca'' foliage and inflorescence [[File:DamianaLiqueur.jpg|thumb|A bottle of Damiana liqueur. The shape of the bottle is modeled after that of a pregnant mother, a reference to Damiana's supposed aphrodisiac effect.]]

'''''Turnera diffusa''''', known as '''damiana''',<ref>{{PLANTS|id=TUDI|taxon=Turnera diffusa|accessdate=12 December 2015}}</ref> is a shrub native to southern Texas in the United States,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8cEq7weUPYYC |title=Trees, Shrubs, and Cacti of South Texas |first=J. H. |last=Everitt |author2=Dale Lynn Drawe |author3=Robert I. Lonard |publisher=Texas Tech University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-89672-473-0 |page=208}}</ref> Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Passifloraceae.<ref name="GRIN"/>

Damiana is a relatively small, woody shrub that produces small, aromatic flowers. It blossoms in early to late summer, followed by fruits that taste similar to figs. The shrub is said to have a strong spice-like odor somewhat like chamomile, due to the aromatic compounds present in the plant.<ref>{{cite book |first=Eduard |last=Gildemeister |author2=Friedrich Hoffmann |editor=Edward Kremers |title=The Volatile Oils |volume=3 |edition=2 |year=1922 |publisher=Wiley |page=183}}</ref>

Damiana is traditionally used in Mexican liqueurs and margaritas, historically featured in 19th-century patent medicines as an alleged aphrodisiac, and today is valued in herbal teas and smoking blends for its calming and mild psychoactive effects. It contains a complex mix of phytochemicals—including flavonoids like apigenin and acacetin, terpenoids, phenolics, cyanogenic glycosides, and others. It serves as a host plant for the Mexican fritillary (''Euptoieta hegesia''), a butterfly.

Many plants and seeds sold as ''T. diffusa'' are actually ''Turnera ulmifolia'' (“false damiana”), a different species with different chemical properties and uses, and this misidentification mostly happens in horticultural sales, not in herbal product markets.

==Uses==

Damiana is an ingredient in a traditional Mexican liqueur, which is sometimes used in lieu of triple sec in margaritas. Mexican folklore claims that it was used in the "original" margarita. The damiana margarita is popular in the Los Cabos region of Mexico.<ref name="Damiana liqueur">{{Cite web |url=http://www.damiana.net/ |title=Damiana Liqueur at Damiana.net |access-date=2007-04-10 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228220156/http://www.damiana.net/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Mexican liqueurs">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jun-20-fo-drink20-story.html |first=Charles |last=Perry |title=The unexpected thrill |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2007-06-20}}</ref>

Damiana was included in several 19th-century patent medicines, such as Pemberton's French Wine Coca. The leaves were omitted from that product's non-alcoholic counterpart, Coca-Cola.<ref>{{cite book |first=Mark |last=Pendergrast | author-link=Mark Pendergrast |title=For God, Country, and Coca Cola: The Definitive History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company That Makes It |url=https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0 |url-access=limited |edition=2 |publisher=Basic Books |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-46505-468-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/forgodcountrycoc00pend_0/page/24 24]–30}}</ref> In folklore, the plant was believed to be an aphrodisiac,{{cn|date=January 2026}} hence its sometimes used binomial synonym, ''Turnera aphrodisiaca''.

Beyond its historical use in drinks, Damiana continues to be a valued herb for its ability to induce relaxation and improve emotional well-being.{{medcn|date=January 2026}} It is commonly found in modern herbal teas and smoking blends, where it is used for its calming, mild psychoactive effects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herbie |title=Damiana: A natural way to deep relaxation |url=https://www.beherbie.com/en/blogs/herbie-nicotine-free-herbal-blends/damiana-natural-way-to-deep-relaxation |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Herbie |language=en}}</ref>{{rs|date=January 2026}}

==Phytochemistry== Damiana contains damianin; tetraphyllin B; gonzalitosin I; arbutin; tricosan-2-one; acacetin; p-cymene; β-sitosterol; 1,8-cineole; apigenin;<ref name="pmc2005">{{cite journal | title=Anti-anxiety Activity Studies on Homoeopathic Formulations of Turnera aphrodisiaca Ward | publisher=Hindawi Publishing Corporation | date=February 9, 2005 | author=Kumar, Suresh | doi=10.1093/ecam/neh069| pmc=1062162 | pmid=15864356 | volume=2 | issue=1 | journal=Evid Based Complement Alternat Med | pages=117–119}}</ref> α-pinene; β-carotene; β-pinene; tannins; thymol;<ref>{{cite book |first=Phyllis A. |last=Balch |title=Prescription for Nutritional Healing: the A to Z Guide to Supplements |edition=2 |publisher=Penguin |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-58333-143-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/prescriptionfor000balc/page/233 233] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/prescriptionfor000balc/page/233 }}</ref> and hexacosanol. In total, 22 flavonoids, maltol glucoside, phenolics, seven cyanogenic glycosides, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, the polyterpene ficaprenol-11, fatty acids, and caffeine have been found in the genus ''Turnera''.<ref>{{cite journal | year = 2014 |author1=Szewczyk, K |author2=Zidorn, C | title = Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana – Turnera diffusa | volume = 152 |issue=3 | pages = 424–443 | issn = 0378-8741 | journal = Journal of Ethobotany | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2014.01.019 | pmid = 24468305}}</ref> As of 2006, damiana's constituents have not been identified for their effects attributed to the whole herb.<ref>{{citation|title=Pharmacognostic Standardization of Turnera aphrodisiaca Ward |journal=Journal of Medicinal Food|doi=10.1089/jmf.2006.9.254|year=2006|volume=9|issue=2|pmid=16822212|pages=254–60|last1=Kumar |first1=Suresh |last2=Taneja |first2=Ruchi |last3=Sharma |first3=Anupam }}</ref>

==Ecology== ''T. diffusa'' is a host plant for the Mexican fritillary (''Euptoieta hegesia''), a butterfly.<ref>{{cite book |first=Roland H. |last=Wauer |title=Butterflies of the Lower Rio Grande Valley |publisher=Johnson Books |location=Boulder, CO |year=2004 |isbn=9781555663476 |page=128}}</ref>

== Misidentification in commerce == Viable plant and seed material sold as ''T. diffusa'' from both private and commercial sources largely turns out to be misidentified ''Turnera ulmifolia'' (a.k.a. "False Damiana"), a closely related species. This widespread issue has been noted by the scientific community, and has created much confusion among both amateur and professional horticulturists alike.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Joshi|first1=V.C.|last2=Rao|first2=A.S.|last3=Wang|first3=Y.H.|last4=Avula|first4=B.|last5=Khan|first5=I.A.|title=Taxonomic Clarification on Turnera diffusa Ward and its Demarcation from "False Damiana" using Fluorescence, Scanning Electron Microscopy, HPTLC and UPLC|journal=Planta Medica|date=March 2009|volume=75|issue=4|doi=10.1055/s-2009-1216454|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Damiana – Turnera diffusa, Turnera ulmifolia seed pictures|url=https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/14429711|website=shroomery.org|access-date=7 September 2016}}</ref> Mature stems of ''T. diffusa'' are woody, with small, grayed green leaves 13 to 16 mm long, 4.5 to 5.5 mm wide, obtuse at the apex, and strongly aromatic when crushed.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Meerow|first1=Alan W.|last2=Ayala-Silva|first2=Tomás|last3=Irish|first3=Brian M.|title=Turnera diffusa 'Luisa', a Drought-tolerant Small Shrub for Warm Climates|journal=HortScience|date=December 2010|volume=45|issue=12|pages=1895–1896|doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.45.12.1895|doi-access=free}}</ref> ''T. ulmifolia'' is differentiated by herbaceous stems, larger blue-green leaves that are strongly dentate with a pointed apex, and only weakly aromatic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Elm-leaved Turnera – Turnera ulmifolia|url=http://ntsavanna.com/elm-leaved-turnera-turnera-ulmifolia/|website=A Neotropical Savanna|access-date=7 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Turnera Ulmifolia|url=http://www.comfsm.fm/~dleeling/botany/1998/vhp/martha02.html|website=College of Micronesia|access-date=7 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Woody and Herbaceous Plants Native to Haiti|url=http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/urban_hort/Woody%20and%20Herbaceous%20Plants%20Native%20to%20Haiti.pdf|website=University of Florida, Miami-Dade|access-date=7 September 2016}}</ref> One scientific study however, demonstrated this confusion being mostly associated with horticultural commerce, and does not extend appreciably to commercial herbal products, most of which exhibit constituents that can be definitively traced to ''T. diffusa''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schäffer|first1=Marion|last2=Gröger|first2=Thomas|last3=Pütz|first3=Michael|last4=Zimmermann|first4=Ralf|title=Assessment of the presence of damiana in herbal blends of forensic interest based on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography|journal=Forensic Toxicology|date=July 2013|volume=31|issue=2|pages=251–262|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257682071|access-date=7 September 2016|doi=10.1007/s11419-013-0186-5|s2cid=21030359}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Wikispecies}} * [http://www.erowid.org/herbs/damiana/ Damiana vault] at Erowid

diffusa Category:Plants described in 1820 Category:Liqueurs Category:Flora of Southern America Category:Flora of Mexico Category:Flora of Texas Category:Mexican alcoholic beverages