Producers
| Name
of Plant:Bactris gasipaes H.B.&
K. Regional names: 'Cachipay' (Colombia); 'Pifuayo' (Peru); 'Pupunha' (Brazil): 'Tembé' (Bolivia) Peach Palm |
| Description of Plant:They reach up to 20 meters high and the leaves are 2 meters long. And have 10 centimeters long needles. |
| Uses of Plant (consumption/medicinal):They have fruits on them. They are orange and some of them are red. They contain yellowish flesh surrounding a seed. |
| Name of Plant:Ayahausca vine |
| Description of Plant:Sometimes called "the vine of the dead," this thick-rooted plant grows long leaves and small flowers |
| Uses of Plant (consumption/medicinal):It used to make a drink, called ayahuasca or yage, taken by the tribe the shamans throughout the Amazon. This drink is made by cooking the vine with the leaf of chacuruna (Psychotria, of the coffee family). |
Picture and information courtesy of:
picture and info courtesy: http://www.pbs.org/journeyintoamazonia/plants.html
| Name of Plant:Astrocaryum aculeatum Meyer |
| Description of Plant:This group of palms, with characteristic heavily spined trunks, grow to 20 m tall and are found commonly in many areas of the lowland Amazon. They grow in both moist and dry habitats, e.g., in areas that remain uninundated during the rainy season, as well as along rivers. |
| Uses of Plant (consumption/medicinal):The fruits of these palms provide edible oil, and palm hearts can be obtained from the meristem (growing point). One study of Astrocaryum vulgare reported that the fruit contained 3.5% protein, 19.1% carbohydrate and 16.6% fat. In addition, the Vitamin A content was found to be a remarkable 50,000 i.u. per 100 grams of pulp, three times higher than that of the carrot. |