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TURKESTAN MINT (Lagochilus inebrians) is a small shrubof the dry steppes of Turkestan. For centuries it hasbeen the source of an intoxicant among the Tajik,Tartar, Turkoman, and Uzbek tribesmen. The leaves,gathered in October, are toasted, sometimes mixedwith stems, fruits, and flowers. Drying and storage increasetheir aromatic fragrance. Honey and sugar areoften added to reduce their intense bitterness.Valued as a folk medicine and included in the 8thedition of the Russian pharmacopoeia, it is used totreat skin disease, to help check hemorrhages, and toprovide sedation for nervous disorders. A crystallinecompound isolated from the plant and named lagochilinehas proved to be aditerpene. Whether or not itproduces the psychoactive effects of the whole plant isunknown. There are some 34 other species of Lagochilus.Members of the mint family, labiatae, they are nativefrom central Asia to Iran and Afghanistan.