# Plant Monograph: Catha

**Name of plant:**
Catha

**Catch phrase (Carmina Gadelica or traditional invocation if available):**
**“Leaf of wakefulness, bearer of long thought and long conversation.”**
No Carmina Gadelica invocation is associated with catha. The plant belongs to the traditional cultures of the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula.

**Family:**
Celastraceae

**Genus and species:**
*Catha edulis* (Vahl) Forssk. ex Endl.

**Other names:**

* Khat
* Qat
* Kat
* Chat
* Jat
* Miraa
* Mirra
* Arabian tea
* Abyssinian tea
* African salad
* *Catha edulis*

**Brief introduction:**
*Catha edulis* is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Horn of Africa and cultivated extensively in parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its fresh young leaves and shoots have a long-established cultural tradition of communal chewing, particularly in Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and neighbouring regions.

The plant contains the stimulant alkaloids **cathinone** and **cathine**, which are chemically related to amphetamine-type stimulants. Fresh plant material contains more cathinone; the compound progressively converts to cathine as the leaves age or dry.

Khat has historically been associated with social gatherings, prolonged conversation, religious and scholarly activities, work and ceremonial occasions. It is pharmacologically active and can produce significant cardiovascular and psychological effects.

**Traditional uses:**

* Traditionally chewed to promote wakefulness and alertness.
* Used to maintain endurance during prolonged work or social activity.
* Used traditionally during extended gatherings involving conversation and communal interaction.
* Historically associated with religious, scholarly and ceremonial gatherings in some cultures.
* Traditionally used as a culturally significant stimulant rather than primarily as a medicinal herb.

**Historical use:**

* Khat use has a long history in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
* Its use spread historically across the Red Sea into Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula.
* Medieval and early modern Arabic sources describe the stimulating effects of the plant.
* Fresh leaves became an important agricultural and commercial crop in parts of East Africa and Yemen.
* Khat chewing developed as a deeply embedded social custom in several communities.

**Parts used and method of use:**

* Young leaves.
* Tender shoots and stems.

Used as:

* Traditionally chewed fresh.
* Fresh leaves may be held in the cheek and gradually masticated.
* In some traditions, leaves are consumed communally during extended gatherings.
* Dried material has substantially different chemistry because cathinone degrades during drying.

**Use in healing (modern herbal practice):**

* Historically regarded as a stimulant and mental-awakening plant.
* Traditionally used to counter fatigue and increase alertness.
* Historically employed as an appetite-suppressing stimulant.
* Experimental research has investigated antimicrobial, antioxidant and other biological properties of *Catha edulis* extracts.
* Modern medical literature primarily concerns its **pharmacological effects, toxicity and public-health consequences**, rather than established therapeutic applications.

**Pharmacology and biochemistry:**

* **Cathinone** — the principal naturally occurring stimulant alkaloid in fresh leaves.
* **Cathine (norpseudoephedrine)** — a less potent stimulant produced partly through degradation of cathinone.
* **Phenylpropanolamine-related alkaloids and polyphenolic compounds** — additional constituents contributing to the plant's chemistry.

Mechanisms:

* Cathinone acts primarily as a central nervous system stimulant by increasing monoamine neurotransmission, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine.
* Increased sympathetic activity can raise heart rate and blood pressure.
* Stimulant effects can produce increased alertness and reduced subjective fatigue but may also produce anxiety, insomnia and agitation.

**Overall profile:**
*Catha edulis* is a **pharmacologically potent stimulant plant rather than a conventional medicinal herb**. Its cultural importance is considerable, but cathinone and cathine can produce clinically significant cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric effects. The plant's legal status varies substantially between jurisdictions.

**Common dosage:**

* **Fresh leaves:** No standardized therapeutic medicinal dosage exists.
* **Young shoots:** No standardized therapeutic medicinal dosage exists.
* **Dried leaf:** Not considered equivalent to fresh leaf because cathinone content changes during drying.
* **Extracts/concentrates:** Not recommended as therapeutic preparations because alkaloid concentration and toxicity can be highly variable.

**Safety factors (including side effects):**

* Cathinone is a potent stimulant and can cause elevated heart rate and blood pressure.
* Acute effects may include anxiety, agitation, insomnia, reduced appetite, nausea and headache.
* Heavy or repeated use has been associated with dependence, psychological effects and cardiovascular complications.
* People with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, significant anxiety disorders or psychotic disorders may face particular risks.
* Long-term heavy use has been associated with oral, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and psychiatric health concerns; pregnancy use is also associated with significant concern.

**First aid / adverse reaction response:**

* **Agitation, anxiety or marked stimulation:** stop exposure, move to a calm environment and obtain medical advice if symptoms are severe.
* **Rapid or irregular heartbeat:** seek urgent medical assessment.
* **Severe agitation, confusion, hallucinations or psychosis:** seek emergency medical attention.
* **Chest pain, seizure or loss of consciousness:** call emergency services immediately.
* **Suspected poisoning or excessive exposure:** contact the local poison-control centre or emergency medical service.

**Drug interactions:**

* May have additive stimulant effects with other sympathomimetic or stimulant drugs.
* Concurrent use with other psychoactive substances may increase cardiovascular or psychiatric risk.
* Potential interactions with antidepressants and other medicines affecting monoamine neurotransmission are clinically important.
* Because cathinone has amphetamine-like pharmacology, combining khat with other stimulants or psychoactive medicines should be considered potentially hazardous.

**Horticultural requirements:**

* **USDA / Canadian zone:** Approximately USDA zones 10–11; frost-sensitive and unsuitable for most Canadian outdoor climates.
* **Soil pH:** Approximately 6.0–7.5.
* **Light requirements:** Full sun to partial shade.
* **Moisture:** Moderate moisture with good drainage; does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging.

**Other notes (growth habit, harvest timing, etc.):**

* **Growth habit:** Evergreen shrub or small tree, commonly several metres tall but capable of becoming considerably larger under favourable conditions.
* **Flowering/fruiting:** Small white flowers occur in clusters and are followed by small dry capsules containing winged seeds.
* **Harvest timing:** Young leaves and shoots are harvested while fresh because cathinone content declines as plant material ages and dries.
* **Habitat:** Highland and upland regions of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; commonly cultivated in areas with moderate rainfall and suitable temperatures.
* **Propagation/cultivation notes:** Propagated by seed and vegetatively. Requires warm conditions, adequate moisture and well-drained soil. Commercial production is concentrated in regions where cultivation is established and legally permitted.

**Sampling of clinical reports / studies:**

* **Clinical research:** Human research consistently demonstrates stimulant and cardiovascular effects, including increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
* **Pharmacological study:** Cathinone has amphetamine-like stimulant pharmacology and increases central monoaminergic activity.
* **Phytochemical study:** Fresh leaves contain cathinone, while cathine becomes relatively more prominent as cathinone degrades during drying.
* **Ethnobotanical evidence:** Extensive documentation demonstrates centuries of culturally embedded khat use in the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula.
* **Overall assessment of evidence:** **Extensive ethnobotanical evidence and well-established pharmacology, but no established modern therapeutic role. The principal clinical importance of *Catha edulis* concerns its stimulant effects, dependence potential and cardiovascular and psychiatric risks.**

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Educational Use Only: The information presented on this page is provided for educational, historical, and informational purposes only. ArdNemeton na Tuatha and Bhùth Draoi do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician and pharmacist before using any herb, mushroom, supplement, or botanical product for medicinal purposes. Traditional uses described herein do not constitute medical claims.