tion in the Colombian Putumayo (Schultes 1967, 1969, 1970a, 
1970b, 1970c: Schultes & Hofmann, 1973). He suggested that 
this species (reported originally as B. maritima) may have been 
employed more extensively in the past and that, as native 
peoples have become acculturated, its use has died out. 
Brunfelsia grandiflora is distributed throughout western 
South America from Venezuela south to Bolivia and east to the 
Brazilian Amazon. It is also extensively cultivated in the 
American tropics as an ornamental. However, only in western 
South America are its curious medicinal properties recognized 
by native healers. B. grandiflora has one subspecies — subsp. 
Schultesii Plowman — recognized chiefly by its much smaller 
flowers and fruits. Both forms, however, seem to be used 
interchangeably in folk medicine. Subsp. Schultesii is more 
widespread in the lowlands and the form more likely to be 
employed. 
Many different Indian tribes in the Amazon region are ac- 
quainted with this species, and it is known by many vernacular 
names. The most widely used names are chiricaspi and chiric 
sanango, both Quechua words, found in southern Colombia 
and Amazonian Peru respectively. Chiricaspi means *‘cold 
tree’: chiric sanango signifies **cold medicine’. Both names 
incorporate the Quechua word chiric which means “cold”, in 
reference to the sensation of chills reputedly produced upon 
ingestion of the roots or bark. Chiric guayusa Is another variant 
found in lowland Ecuador (Pinkley, 1969). 
Brunfelsia grandiflora, like other plants which yield potent 
drugs, has multiple uses: as a medicine, as a narcotic and, in 
higher doses, as a poison. By no means exclusive of each other, 
these classes of usage frequently intergrade in everyday real- 
ity. 
BRUNFELSIA GRANDIFLORA AS A POISON 
Schultes (1967) mentions that this plant is considered potl- 
sonous to cattle near Leticia in the Colombian Amazon. Data 
from herbarium specimens collected in Bolivia (Steinbach 
1805, 5487) also indicate that the plant is very poisonous, 
especially to cattle which occasionally eat the foliage. Another 
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