Nicotiana tabacum L.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is an annual shrub up to 120 cm tall of the Solanaceae family, native to the Americas, brought into Indonesia by Western colonialism since the early 17th century. Besides being smoked as cigarettes and cigars, tobacco in Indonesia is also chewed in the nyusur tradition. Its leaves are traditionally believed to relieve swelling, rheumatism, and scorpion stings.

Grows at elevations of 800-1,800 m above sea level in tropical regions with an annual temperature range of 15-30°C, prefers average annual rainfall of 500-750 mm/year. Grows well in moist soil conditions with a pH of 5-6.5 and full sunlight.

• Root a taproot 50-70 cm long, fibrous roots grow after being transplanted to soil.
• Stem somewhat soft but strong, increasingly smaller toward the tip, stem nodes thicken and grow leaves, and the stem is unbranched or slightly branched.
• Leaves oblong round with a tapering tip, pinnate veins, edges somewhat wavy and smooth.
• Flowers compound consisting of several racemes and each raceme contains 15 flowers.
• Fruit oblong round and small shape, consisting of 2 chambers, each chamber contains small, numerous seeds.

Propagated by seed.

Alkaloid, saponin, flavonoid, polyphenol, resin, essential oil, nicotine, carotenoid, 4-desmethylsterols, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, chlorogenic acid isomers, scopoletin, rutin, monohydroxyphenolic compounds, tannin.

Treats swollen skin, rheumatism, scorpion stings, relieves toothache, skin rash boils, bleeding, constipation, malaria, hernia, polyps, lymph nodes.

• Prepare good, fresh tobacco leaves.
• Wash with running water until clean.
• Dry in the sun until completely dry (to a moisture content of 10%).
• Once dry, grind the leaves into powder form.
• Store the simplisia in a closed, airtight container.

This plant is known by the local names Mbako (Java), Tabako, Bako.