Plant teachers of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest

El Mundo Magico

Plant Teachers of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest

Native Quechua and Botanical Names

The traditional shamanic training as it is practiced still today by the vegetalistas of the Peruvian Amazon, on the footstep of their tribal counterparts, is embedded in the Spanish term dieta (the shamanic diet). Plants may also be "dieted" therapeutically, for healing from a particular condition (the healing diet). In either case different degrees of restrictions and/or a more specific apprenticeship is required, under the guidance of the shaman.

Click here to read more abut the "plant diet". Along with their use in the dieta - which has different styles and degrees of rigor (see the diet as it is done in Sachamama and in Onanyan Shobo), some of these plants and trees may also be employed as admixture in the preparation of the ayahuasca brew, or find as well other, more specific applications in the ceremonial and daily world of the vegetalistas of the Peruvian Amazon. In Onanyan Shobo the brew is prepared with ayahuasca, huambisa chacruna (chagropanga), chacruna and toe'. Other plant additives are at the discretion of the maestros to use.

Vernacular Name	Botanical Name

Abuta	Abuta grandifolia
Acatuaua	Maytanus macrocarpa
Acpa Ayahuasca	Banisteriopsis sp.
Amasisa	Erythrinaglauca

Anacaspi	Apuleta leiocarpa
Ajos chiro	Gallizia corazema

*Ajos sacha*	Mansoa alliacea


Ayahùman	Couropita guianensis

Azucar huayo	Hymenaea sp.
Bellaco caspi	Himantanthus sucuuba
Bobinzana	Calliandra angustifolia
Camalonga	Thevetia peruviana (?)
Campana ayahuasca	Banisteriopsis sp.


Canelilla	Aniba canellila

Capirona negra	Capirona decorticans
Catahua	Hura crepitans
Caupuri	Virola surinamensis


Chacruna	Psychotria viridis

Chambira	Astrocaryum chambira
Chicuru piripiri	Cyperus sp.



Chiric sanango	Brunfelsia grandiflora


Chiricaspi (palo del frio)	Brunfelsia chiricaspi

*Chontay caspi*	Unidentified
*Chonta quiro*	Diplotropis sp. *(A. Brack) / Anthodiscus sp.* (A. Gentry)**
*Cuchara caspi*	Malovetia Tamaquarina
Chuchuhuasi	Maytenus ebenifolia
*Chuchuhuasa*	Heisteria pallida


Chullachaki-caspi	Brysonima christianeae


Cielo ayahuasca (lucero ayahuasca)	Banisteriopsis caapi

Clavohuasca	Tynanthas panurensis
Colita de gabilan	Unidentified
Cumaceba negra	Swartzia sp.
Cumala	Virola sp.
Estoraque (Estorake)	Myroxylon balsamum
Garabato	Unidentified

Giausahuasca	*Unidentified*
Hiporuru	Alchornea castaneifolia
Huairacaspi	Cedrelinga catanaeformis
Huayra runa	*Unidentified*
*Huacapu'*	Minquartia guianensis
Huambiza chacruna (chagropanga)	Diplopterys cabrerana
Huiririma	Astrocaryum jauari
Huicungo	Astrocaryum vulgare
Iana ayahuasca (ayahuasca negra)	Banisteriopsis sp.
Lobo chupa	Unidentified


*Lupuna blanca*	Ceiba sp. / Ceiba Pentandra


Lupuna roja (puka-lupuna or lupuna bruja)	Cavanillesia hylogeiton / C. umbellata

Lupuna negra	Unidentified
Mapacho	Nicotiana rustica / Nicotiana tabacum
Misqui panga (michiquipanga)	Renealmia alpina
Mucura	Petiveria alliacea
Murcohuasca	Marcgravia williamsii
Mururé	Brosimum acutifolium Huber
Nuc-nuc pichana	Scoparia dulcis

Oje'	Ficus insipida

Papastrueno	Dioscorea sp.
Piripiri	Cyperaceous sp.
Puca chari (rojo dulce)	Banisteriopsis sp.
Pumasacha	Roucheria punctata ducke
Puro puro	Unidentified
Raya balsa	Montrichardia arborecens
Rajo ayahuasca	Banisteriopsis sp.
Remo caspi	Pithecellobium laetum
Renaco	Ficus sp.
Sacha runa	Unidentified
Shapaca (Shapaja)	Sheelea cephalotes
Shihuauacu	Dipterys sp.?
Suelda con suelda	Phtirusa pyrifolia
Supay-casha caspi	Unidentified
Tahuari'	Tabebuia heteropoda
Tangarana	Triplaris surinamensis var. chamissoana


Toe'	Brugmansia suavolensis

Trueno ayahuasca	Banisteriopsis sp.
Uchu-sanango	Tabernaemontana sp.
Yana ayahuasca	Banisteriopsis sp.

References

Luna, L.E. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 11 (1984) 135-156; Luna, L.E. Vegetalismo. Shamanism among the Mestizo Population of the Peruvian Amazon, Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion 27, Stockholm 1986; Schultes, E.R. and Raffauf, R. F. Vine of the Soul, Medicine Men, their Plants and Rituals in the Colombian Amazonia, Synergetic Press 1992; Luna, L.E. : "Icaros: Magical Melodies", in Matteson Langdon, E.J. and Baer G. Portals of Power - Shamanism in South America, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque 1992; Dobkins De Rios, M. Amazon Healer. The Life and Times of an Urban Shaman, Prism Press, Dorset 1992; Luna, L.E. and Amaringo P. Ayahuasca Visions, The Religious Iconography of a Peruvian Shaman, Berkeley 1999; Luna, L.E. and White, S. (Editors) Ayahuasca Reader - Encounters with the Amazon's Sacred Wine, Synergetic Press, Santa Fe 2000; A. Gentry A Field Guide to the families and Genera of Woody Plants of Northwest South America, 1993; A. Brack Egg Dicionario Enciclopédico de Plantas Utiles del Perù, 1999; Mejia, K. & Rengifo, E. Plantas Medicinales de Uso Popular en la Amazonia Peruana, 1995.

Acknowledgements

Most of the native quechua names of the plants as from personal communications by Francisco Montes Shuña, Ruperto Peña Shuña, Felipe Ayala, Julio Gerena Pinedo, Ruber del Castillo Ramirez. Tentative identification kindly supplied, in some instances, by Francisco Montes Shuña, Moises Suarez Mera (botanical researcher at Iquitos university) and Jessica Bertram de Sasari (guide at Manu National Park, and apprentice of don Adriano Rodriguez).

Home

and Sacred Valley - Marka Wasi | How to Book | Icaros CD | Plant Teachers of the Amazon

Testimonials | Travel & Medical Info | Contact Email | Site Map | Links