A portion of Ordinaire’s description also appeared in Valdi- 
zan and Maldonado’s treatise on Peruvian popular medicine 
(Valdizan & Maldonado, 1922). 
Chamairo is known also in Bolivia. The most complete data 
were supplied by the Bolivian botanist Martin Cardenas who 
studied the plant and its use during the Mulford Biological 
Expedition in 1921. Cardenas (1969: 396) reported that the plant 
grows in the region of the Rio Enadere near Ixiamas, in the 
Province of Iturralde in northern La Paz Department. In 
Rurrenabaque, the dry bark of chamairo is sold in coiled strips 
and, as in Peru, is closely associated with coca chewing. After a 
portion of coca is lightly chewed, a small piece of chamairo is 
added and finally formed together into a quid, to which is added 
a pinch of plant ash which is carried in a cow’s horn. The effect 
of the mixture was said to resemble sweetened coca. 
Cardenas attempted to explain the derivation of the word 
“chamairo”, which he believed to be Quechua in origin. The 
prefix “chama”, according to Cardenas, means “delight” and 
“iru” is a kind of forage grass which is used to make a wick or 
torch for lighting fires. He thus interpreted “chamairo” to mean 
“wick of delight”, in reference to the pleasant effects produced 
upon chewing the vine. 
Another Bolivian, Oblitas Poblete (1969), provided additional 
information on the use of chamairo as a medicinal plant: 
“Chamairo is a liana which is found in the region of the Beni. 
When chewing coca, it serves to sweeten the leaf and make it 
more digestive. When drunk as an infusion, chamairo eliminates 
fatigue from the body. It is known as a stomachic and tonic and 
is much employed for colic and flatulence. The ash is used to 
dust wounds which then heal easily. Coca leaf chewed with 
chamairo is applied in a cataplasm to wounds, bruises, blows 
and sprains.” 
IDENTIFICATION OF CHAMAIRO 
Cardenas was the first botanist to identify the genus and 
family of chamairo as Mussatia in the Bignoniaceae, although 
he did not recognize the species. He also apparently collected an 
herbarium specimen in the Province of Caupulican in La Paz 
Zot 
