Mascagnia glandulifera Cuatrecasas Webbia 13 
(1958) 865. 
Cotompia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Rio Apaporis, Soratama. July 
31, 1951. RE. Schultes et I. Cabrera 15208,—Same locality. August 
16, 1951. Schultes et Cabrera 13594. 
A poultice of crushed and boiled leaves of Mascagnia 
glandulifera is commonly applied to boils and similar 
infections by Indians of the middle Apaporis. 
Saponins have been reported from a species of this 
genus (Gibbs loc. cit. ). 
Mezia includens (Benth.) Cuatrecasas in Webbia 
13 (1958) 450. 
Cotompia: Comisaria del Vaupés, Rio Apaporis, Jinogojé (at mouth 
of Rio Piraparand) and vicinity. “‘Vine. Flowers bright yellow.” 
RE. Schultes et I. Cabrera 15691. 
This vine represents one of the medicinal plants with 
most uses amongst the Makuna Indians of the middle 
Apaporis. It is unusual that this should be so, in view 
of the relative scarcity of the plant. 
The bark, which contains apparently high concentra- 
tions of tannin, is prepared in an infusion which is taken 
warm in large quantities to treat urinary troubles and to 
provoke urination. Perhaps because of its diuretic proper- 
ties, it isemployed in the form of a tea in cases of swol- 
len legs—obviously edemas due to age and circulatory 
ailments. 
The root is considered a strong laxative: it is crushed 
and soaked together with water in which /arvva (the flour 
prepared from Manihot esculenta has been setting for 
several hours. 
The leaves, boiled for long periods into a tea, provide 
a strong emetic drink. They are also considered, when 
applied over the abdomen in the form of a cataplasm, a 
help in the treatment of what appears to be jaundice. 
The Makuna Indians call this vine ce’-taw-gai. 
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