Sleepwater Leaf
Description
The Sleepwater Leaf grows as a thick carpet of leaves, growing to a height of two feet, but spreading as much as five feet in diameter from a single taproot.The leaves of the Sleepwater plant grow up to a foot long and half as wide. They are a bright green and hairless.
When broken the stems of the Sleepwater Leaf release a clear, watery sap with a rich sweet scent and taste. The plant is named for this sap.
Habitat and Cultivation
Sleepwater Leaf grows in damp earth, often near rivers or in swamps and marshes. Provided that a suitably moist environment can be created for it, it can be cultivated very easily by transplanting the root system.Medicinal Properties
The sap of the Sleepwater Leaf has an anaesthetic quality. When applied to the skin it can be an effective treatment for the irritation of minor rashes and insect bites, and can numb the pain of cuts and bruises.Chewing Sleepwater Leaf can be effective for numbing the pain prior to dental work. Chewing it for longer can be effective for numbing pain throughout the body.
Sleepwater is made by boiling the Sleepwater Leaf in water, sometimes with tea leaves or alcohols depending on the desired effect. Sleepwater can be used to induce a deep, dreamless sleep, which can be effective as an anaesthetic.
Sleepwater Leaf is mildly addictive, with the body developing a dependence on it both as a painkiller and to control sleep. These effects are particularly pronounced when chewed.
Scientific Name
Rumex Somnofolius
Geographic Distribution
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