Cannabis ruderalis

Last updated

Cannabis ruderalis
Hanf05-w.jpg
Specimen in Brandenburg, Germany
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Cannabaceae
Genus: Cannabis
Species:
C. ruderalis
Binomial name
Cannabis ruderalis
Synonyms
  • Cannabis sativa var. spontanea
  • Cannabis sativa var. ruderalis

Cannabis ruderalis is a variety, subspecies, or species of Cannabis native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. It contains a relatively low quantity of psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and does not require photoperiod to blossom (unlike C. indica and C. sativa). Some scholars accept C. ruderalis as its own species due to its unique traits and phenotypes which distinguish it from C. indica and C. sativa ; others debate whether ruderalis is a subspecies under C. sativa. [2]

Contents

Description

This species is smaller than other species of the genus, rarely growing over 0.61 metres (2 feet) in height[ citation needed ]. The plants have "thin, slightly fibrous stems" with little branching. The foliage is typically open with large leaves. [3] C. ruderalis reaches maturity much quicker than other species of Cannabis, typically 5–7 weeks after being planted from seed. [4]

Unlike other species of the genus, C. ruderalis enters the flowering stage based on the plant's maturity rather than its light cycle. [5] With C. sativa and C. indica varieties, the plant stays in the vegetative state indefinitely as long as a long daylight cycle is maintained. Cannabis geneticists today refer to this feature as "autoflowering " when C. ruderalis is cross-bred. [6]

Regarding its cannabinoid profile, it usually contains less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in its resin compared to other Cannabis species [4] [7] but is often high in cannabidiol (CBD). [8]

Taxonomy

Species description

There is no consensus in the botany community that C. ruderalis is one separate species, rather than a subspecies from C. sativa. It was first described in 1924 by D. E. Janischewsky, noting the visible differences in the fruits' seed (an achene), shape and size from previously classified Cannabis sativa. [9] [10]

Genomic studies

Recently, genomic DNA studies utilizing molecular markers and different varieties of plants from diverse geographical origins have been employed to enrich the Cannabis taxonomy discussion. In 2005, Hillig reinforced the polytypic classification system based on allozyme variation at 17 genomic loci. Hillig's approach, proposed a more detailed taxonomy encompassing three species with seven subspecies or varieties: [9] [11]

Clarke and Merlin carried out more studies in 2013 to analyze the genus mixing molecular markers, chemotypes and morphological characteristics. They proposed a refinement in Hillig's hypothesis and suggested that C. ruderalis could be the wild ancestor of C. sativa and C. indica. However, these affirmations were based on a limited sample size. [9] [12]

Etymology

The term ruderalis is derived from the Latin rūdera, which is the plural form of rūdus, meaning "rubble", "lump", or "rough piece of bronze". In botanical Latin, ruderalis means "weedy" or "growing among waste". [13] A ruderal species refers to any plant that is the first to colonize land after a disturbance removing competition. [14]

Distribution and habitat

C. ruderalis was first scientifically described in 1924 (from plants collected in southern Siberia), although it grows wild in other areas of Russia. [4] The Russian botanist, Janischewski, was studying wild Cannabis in the Volga River system and realized he had come upon a third species. [15] C. ruderalis is a hardier variety grown in the northern Himalayas and southern states of the former Soviet Union, characterized by a more sparse, "weedy" growth. [8] [10]

Similar C. ruderalis populations can be found in most of the areas where hemp cultivation was once prevalent. The most notable region in North America is the midwestern United States, though populations occur sporadically throughout the United States and Canada. [16] Large wild C. ruderalis populations are found in central and eastern Europe, most of them in Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia and adjacent countries. Without human selection, these plants have lost many of the traits they were originally selected for, and have acclimated to their environment. [8]

Cultivation

Seeds of C. ruderalis were brought to Amsterdam in the early 1980s in order to enhance the breeding program of seed banks. [16]

C. ruderalis has lower THC content than either C. sativa or C. indica, so it is rarely grown for recreational use. Also, the shorter stature of C. ruderalis limits its application for hemp production. C. ruderalis strains are high in the cannabіnoid cannabidiol (CBD), so they are grown by some medical marijuana users. [7]

Because C. ruderalis transitions from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage with age, as opposed to the light cycle required with photoperiod strains, it is bred with other household sativa and indica strains of cannabis to create "auto-flowering cannabis strains". This trait offers breeders some agricultural possibilities and advantages over the photoperiodic flowering varieties, as well as resistance aspects to insect and disease pressures. [17] [18]

C. indica strains are frequently cross-bred with C. ruderalis to produce autoflowering plants with high THC content, improved hardiness and reduced height. [19] [20] Cannabis x intersita Sojak, a strain identified in 1960, is a cross between C. sativa and C. ruderalis. [3] Attempts to produce a Cannabis strain with a shorter growing season are another application of cultivating C. ruderalis. [8] C. ruderalis when crossed with sativa and indica strains will carry the recessive autoflowering trait. Further crosses will stabilise this trait and give a plant which flowers automatically and can be fully mature in as little as 10 weeks.

Plant growing indoor under LED lights Cannabis sativa var. ruderalis (DSC 0226).jpg
Plant growing indoor under LED lights

Cultivators also favor ruderalis plants due to their reduced production time, typically finishing in 3–4 months rather than 6–8 months [ citation needed ]. The auto-flowering trait is extremely beneficial because it allows for multiple harvests in one outdoor growing season without the use of light deprivation techniques necessary for multiple harvests of photoperiod-dependent strains. [ citation needed ]

Uses

C. ruderalis is traditionally used in Russian and Mongolian folk medicine, especially for uses in treating depression. [3] Because C. ruderalis is among the lowest THC producing biotypes of Cannabis, C. ruderalis is rarely used for recreational purposes. [16]

In modern use, C. ruderalis has been crossed with Bedrocan strains to produce the strain Bediol for patients with medical prescriptions. [21] The typically higher concentration of CBD may make ruderalis plants viable for the treatment of anxiety or epilepsy. [22]

Bibliography

Books

Articles

Related Research Articles

<i>Cannabis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Alternatively, C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa, or all three may be treated as subspecies of C. sativa, or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species. The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical cannabis</span> Cannabis sativa L. (marijuana; hemp) used medicinally

Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not been as rigorously tested as other medicinal plants due to legal and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited clinical research to define the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases.

<i>Cannabis sativa</i> Plant species

Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous flowering plant. The species was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The specific epithet sativa means 'cultivated'. Indigenous to Eastern Asia, the plant is now of cosmopolitan distribution due to widespread cultivation. It has been cultivated throughout recorded history and used as a source of industrial fiber, seed oil, food, and medicine. It is also used as a recreational drug and for religious and spiritual purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetrahydrocannabivarin</span> Homologue of tetrahydrocannabinol

Tetrahydrocannabivarin is a homologue of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) having a propyl (3-carbon) side chain instead of pentyl (5-carbon), making it non-psychoactive in lower doses. It has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective activity, appetite suppression, glycemic control and reduced side effects compared to THC, making it a potential treatment for management of obesity and diabetes. THCV was studied by Roger Adams as early as 1942.

Hemp or industrial hemp is a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis cultivation</span> Process of planting, growing and harvesting cannabis

Cultivation of cannabis is the production of cannabis infructescences. Cultivation techniques for other purposes differ.

<i>Cannabis indica</i> Species of plant

Cannabis indica is an annual plant species in the family Cannabaceae indigenous to the Hindu Kush mountains of Southern Asia. The plant produces large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), with total cannabinoid levels being as high as 53.7%. It is now widely grown in China, India, Nepal, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as southern and western Africa, and is cultivated for purposes including hashish in India. The high concentrations of THC or THCV provide euphoric effects making it popular for use for several purposes such as recreational drugs, clinical research drugs and the potential of Cannabis or selected constituents for new drug research or being used in alternative medicine, among many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis flower essential oil</span> Essential oil obtained from the hemp plant

Cannabis flower essential oil, also known as hemp essential oil, is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation from the flowers, panicles, stem, and upper leaves of the hemp plant. Hemp essential oil is distinct from hemp seed oil and hash oil: the former is a vegetable oil that is cold-pressed from the seeds of low-THC varieties of hemp, the latter is a THC-rich extract of dried female hemp flowers (marijuana) or resin (hashish).

<i>Cannabis</i> strain Plant varieties of cannabis

Cannabis strains is a popular name to refer to plant varieties of the monospecific genus Cannabis sativa L.. They are either pure or hybrid varieties of the plant, which encompasses various sub-species C. sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase</span> Enzyme

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of THCA from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). THCA is the direct precursor of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive component of cannabis, which is produced from various strains of Cannabis sativa. Therefore, THCA synthase is considered to be a key enzyme controlling cannabis psychoactivity. Polymorphisms of THCA synthase result in varying levels of THC in Cannabis plants, resulting in "drug-type" and "fiber-type" C. sativa varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autoflowering cannabis</span> Form of cannabis cultivation

Autoflowering cannabis or day neutral cannabis varieties automatically switch from vegetative growth to the flowering stage based on age, as opposed to the ratio of light to dark hours required with photoperiod dependent/short-day strains. Many autoflowering varieties are ready to harvest in less than 10 weeks from seed. Dwarf varieties can have short stature while still giving decent harvests.

The entourage effect is a hypothesis that cannabis compounds other than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) act synergistically with it to modulate the overall psychoactive effects of the plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of cannabis terms</span>

Terms related to cannabis include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of cannabis</span> Overview of and topical guide to cannabis

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the plant Cannabis sativa and its relatives Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis, the drug cannabis (drug) and the industrial product hemp.

'FINOLA' is a low THC hemp variety from Finland that is primarily used to produce hempseed.

Super Lemon Haze is a sativa-dominant cannabis strain in the haze family of strains. It was originally bred by Franco Loja from the Netherlands-based Green House Seed Co. as a cross between two other strains: Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze.

The agricultural weed syndrome is the set of common traits which make a plant a successful agricultural weed. Most of these traits are not, themselves, phenotypes but are instead methods of rapid adaptation. So equipped, plants of various origins - invasives, natives, mildly successful marginal weeds of agriculture, weeds of other settings - accumulate other characteristics which allow them to compete in an environment with a high degree of human management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AK-47 (cannabis)</span> Cannabis strain

AK-47, also known simply as AK, is a cannabis strain with high THC content. It is a hybrid strain of cannabis that is sativa-dominant; it mixes Colombian, Mexican, Thai, and Afghan strains. A strong and popular strain, it has won multiple cannabis industry awards. The plant genetics of AK-47 have been studied scientifically.

Chemical defenses in <i>Cannabis</i> Defense of Cannabis plant from pathogens

Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/) is commonly known as marijuana or hemp and has two known strains: Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, both of which produce chemicals to deter herbivory. The chemical composition includes specialized terpenes and cannabinoids, mainly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD). These substances play a role in defending the plant from pathogens including insects, fungi, viruses and bacteria. THC and CBD are stored mostly in the trichomes of the plant, and can cause psychological and physical impairment in the user, via the endocannabinoid system and unique receptors. THC increases dopamine levels in the brain, which attributes to the euphoric and relaxed feelings cannabis provides. As THC is a secondary metabolite, it poses no known effects towards plant development, growth, and reproduction. However, some studies show secondary metabolites such as cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes are used as defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic environmental stressors.

References

  1. ↑ Janischewsky, Dmitrij Erastovich (1924). Chiuevsky, I. A. (ed.). "A strain of cannabis in weedy areas of Southeastern Russia". Scientific Notes of Saratov University Named for N. G. Chernyshevsky – Faculty of Physico-Mathematical Pedagogy. II (2). Saratov, USSR: Saratov University Press: 3–17.
  2. ↑ Resin, Harry (9 May 2014). "5 Differences Between Sativa and Indica". High Times . Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Ratsch (1998 , pp. 59–60)
  4. 1 2 3 Stafford (1992 , p. 159)
  5. ↑ Rosenthal, Ed. "Flowering Ruderalis". Cannabis Culture Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Green (2005 , p. 14)
  7. 1 2 Basile et al. (2023)
  8. 1 2 3 4 Clarke (1981 , pp. 105, 157)
  9. 1 2 3 Lapierre, Monthony & Torkamaneh (2023)
  10. 1 2 Hillig & Mahlberg (2004)
  11. ↑ Hillig (2005)
  12. ↑ Clarke & Merlin (2013)
  13. ↑ Stearn (2004)
  14. ↑ Schultes et al. (1974)
  15. ↑ Booth (2005 , pp. 2–3)
  16. 1 2 3 Cervantes (2006 , p. 16)
  17. ↑ "What Is Cannabis Ruderalis? | Leafly". Leafly. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  18. ↑ "Euro Grow". High Times. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  19. ↑ DMT. "The Return of Ruderalis". Cannabis Culture Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  20. ↑ "Cannabis Ruderalis - Seedsman Blog". Seedsman Blog. 2015-01-15. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  21. ↑ Bienenstock, David (1 March 2011). "Prescription Strength". High Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ↑ "Cannabis Ruderalis". Seedsman Blog. 2015-01-15. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.