Banisteriopsis caapi
(Spruce ex Griseb.) C.V.Morton
Malpighiaceae
Banisteria caapi Spruce ex Griseb.
Banisteriopsis inebrians C.V.Morton
Banisteriopsis quitensis (Nied.) C.V.Morton
Common Name: Yage
Base of the plant, climbing up a support
Photograph by: Utilidade Pública
Public domain
Base of the plant, climbing up a support
Photograph by: Utilidade Pública
Public domain
Younf plant, scrambling over the ground
Photograph by: Wowbobwow12
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowering plant in a greenhouse of the Botanical Garden in Czech Rep.
Photograph by: Vojt?ch Zavadil
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
General Information
Yage is a large climbing shrub, producing woody stems up to 30 metres long and twining itself round other plants for support.
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a medicinal plant. Besides the exploitation of wild plants, the species is also often cultivated in South America by various indigenous tribes, though cultivated plants are said to be less potent[
,
434- Title
- Flora of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Macbride. J.F.
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
]. With a growing interest in many countries to use this plant as an hallucinogen, it is now traded internationally on a small scale.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Northern and western S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia. Ecuador, Venezuela.
Habitat
Rainforest[
254- Title
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chevallier. A.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley. London
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9-780751-303148
- Description
- An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Climber |
| Height | 30.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations from around sea level up to 1,000 metres.
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The bark, leaves and twigs are the source of a beverage that is hallucinogenic[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. Commonly used in the Amazonian rainforest, it is used shamanically as a tool to contact the spirits and bring healing, and is also used recreationally[
254- Title
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chevallier. A.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley. London
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9-780751-303148
- Description
- An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
,
,
434- Title
- Flora of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Macbride. J.F.
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].
The shoots, roots and leaves, sometimes as an admixture with other species, are used by Indians for the preparation of a hallucinogenic beverage, used for special ceremonies or the roots and stems are chewed for this purpose[
]. The dried leaves are also smoked[
].
In addition to its use as an hallucinogenic, the plant is also emetic and purgative[
254- Title
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chevallier. A.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley. London
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9-780751-303148
- Description
- An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
]. At low doses it is used as a mild detoxifier[
254- Title
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chevallier. A.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley. London
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9-780751-303148
- Description
- An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
].
The plant contains an alkaloid, known variously as 'telepathin', yagein' or 'banisterine', which has a strongly stimulatory action on the nervous system[
434- Title
- Flora of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Macbride. J.F.
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].
The bark contains beta-carboline alkaloids, including harmine, harmaline and delta-tetrahycroharmine[
254- Title
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chevallier. A.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley. London
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9-780751-303148
- Description
- An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
]. These alkaloids stimulate hallucinations[
254- Title
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chevallier. A.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley. London
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9-780751-303148
- Description
- An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
