Mayna longifolia Poeppig et Endlicher Nov. Gen. et Sp. 3 (1845) 
64. 
CoLomBIA: Comisaria del Amazonas, Rio Miritiparana, Cafio Guacaya. 
“Fruit cauline, greenish white.” April 24, 1952. R. E. Schultes et I. Cabrera 
16285. 
The seeds of this shrub are crushed and boiled in water to make 
a tea to provoke vomiting in cases of serious food poisoning, 
especially from tainted fish. The tea must, however, be used with 
caution, since it is reputedly toxic, causing extreme dizziness, 
profuse sweating and uncontrollable trembling. 
The plant is well known by all Indians of the area. The Makuna 
call it o0-too-mee '-ko; the Mirafia, do ’-ro -he; ya-poo ‘-moo-ho; 
the Yukuna, ka-sa ’-ra (‘beetle tree”). 
Mayna longifolia Poeppig et Endlicher var. phasmatocarpa R. E. 
Schultes in Bot. Mus. Leaf., Harvard Univ. 12 (1946) 125. 
CoLomsBiA: Comisaria del Vaupés, Rio Vaupés near confluence of Rios Unilla 
and Itilla. January 13, 1944. R. E. Schultes 5728. 
This treelet is known in Spanish as cacaoito and cacao blanco; 
in Karijona, ha-pe ’-ta-ke. 
The orange-red aril of the seeds is applied to the gums to 
staunch bleeding. 
Mayna toxica R. E. Schultes in Rhodora 65 (1963) 16, t. 10. 
CotomsIA: Comisaria del Amazonas, Rio Caqueta, La Pedrera and vicinity, 
Quebrada Tonina. On high land. “Small tree, 20 feet tall. Flowers white.” 
October 5, 1952. R. E. Schultes et I. Cabrera 17731. 
The Mirafia Indians of the La Pedrera region assert that 
formerly the bark or seeds of this tree were given to dogs as a 
poison. The same uses have hitherto been reported (Schultes: 
Rhodora 65 (1963) 16) from the Vaupés and for other Indian 
tribes. It was then indicated that: “The fact that at least two 
species — Mayna muricida and M. toxica—are similarly em- 
ployed for their toxic properteries by Indians in far-separated 
parts of the Colombian Amazon suggests that an investigation 
into the chemical constituents of this genus might be of interest.” 
Zi 
