silene undulata silene undulata silene undulata (xhosa: iindlela zimhlophe—"white ways/paths", also known as silene capensis, and african dream root) is a plant native to the eastern cape of south africa. silene undulata scientific classification kingdom: plantae clade: tracheophytes clade: angiosperms clade: eudicots order: caryophyllales family: caryophyllaceae genus: silene species: s. undulata binomial name silene undulataaiton synonyms silene capensis otth melandrium undulatum (ait.) rohrb. silene undulata in a small pot cultivation in cultivation, s. undulata is an easily grown, but moisture hungry herb. it is tolerant of extreme heat, >40 °c (104 °f), and moderate cold, −5 °c (23 °f). a moisture retentive seedbed is essential. the fragrant flowers open at night and close in the day. it is a biennial to short lived perennial and the root can be harvested after the second year. uses silene undulata is regarded by the xhosa people as a sacred plant. its root is traditionally used to induce vivid (and according to the xhosa, prophetic) lucid dreams during the initiation process of shamans, classifying it a naturally occurring oneirogen similar to the more well-known dream herb calea zacatechichi.