Break Shirt

What is the Origin of the Shirt Break Plant?

Turnera diffusa, commonly known as damiana or shirtbreaker, is a small shrub found in arid lands of tropical America, including Brazil, Bolivia, California and Mexico, where it is known as Mexican tea. Its leaves are pale green and hairy, and it produces small yellow flowers with a tubular calyx and corolla of five petals. This shrub, unlike trees that stand on a single trunk, branches from the base, reaching several meters in height in biomes known as thickets.

What is the use of the Shirt Break Plant?

In addition to its botanical aspect, damiana is recognized for its stimulating and aphrodisiac properties, as well as for its use as a mild laxative and tonic for the nervous system. Historically linked to increased sexual desire, various cultures have considered it a traditional aphrodisiac, although from a scientific perspective there is no conclusive evidence of its effectiveness in this regard. Its influence on sympathetic magic rituals and its association with phallic and genital forms in nature reinforce its reputation as a stimulating and culturally significant agent.