Ayahuasca Foundation

A listing of important medicinal plants used in Amazon curanderismo with detailed descriptions of their appearance, chemical content, specific use, and preparation. There are over 60,000 species of plants in the Amazon Rainforest, so this list doesn’t even begin to touch the surface, but it is a good start…

Achiote is a small tree or big bush that reaches a height of 3 – 5 meters. The leaves are alternated heart-shaped, generally 10 – 20 cm in length and 5 – 10 cm in width. They are green on both sides with discreet purple coloration on the back of the ribbings. [...]

Ajo sacha is an evergreen tropical shrubby vine with leaves that have a strong garlic smell and flavor when crushed. Ajo sacha produces bright green leaves up to 15 cm long and beautiful deep lavender flowers with a white throat that fade to a pale lavender, then to almost white. All [...]

Albahaca, in english basil, is a medicinal herb that grows to a height of around one meter.  It has oval or lanceolate leaves around 5 cm in length that are very aromatic. The flowers are grouped in spiral patterns formed by 6 flowers. This aromatic plant is typically know [...]

The anise is a perennial medicinal plant that grows up to 50 cm in height. This medicinal plant has small white flowers around 3 mm in diameter with five petals, joined in flower clusters having stalked flowers arranged singly along an elongated unbranched axis. The fruits of Anise are between [...]

The brew made from this jungle liana has been used for centuries and perhaps millenia by the shamans of the Amazon Rainforest. The mashed vine is usually cooked together with the leaves of the Chacruna plant (psychotria viridis) or other plants similar in chemical composition. The brew is drunk in healing [...]

The flowers, leaves, bark and fruit flesh are used medicinally. Ayahuma possesses antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic and analgesic qualities. The bark is used to cure colds and stomach aches. It is common for curanderos to diet with this powerful tree in order to strengthen their spirits and protect them from dark or negative entities.

Bobinsana is a shrubby tree that grows from 4 to 6 meters high. It is most commonly found alongside rivers and streams in the Amazon Basin. Bobinsana produces beautiful pink to reddish powderpuff-like flowers typical of the Mimosa family to which it belongs.
Bobinsana is considered by many to be a stimulant. [...]

in progress…

Capirona is a canopy tree in the Amazon that grows tall and straight up to a height of about 30 meters. For this reason, it has been used as a source of good, high density lumber. It produces an abundance of small, white, aromatic flowers which are followed by elongated seed pods [...]