This low herb of the primary forest is one of the main Waorani 

 snakebite remedies. After the stem is pounded to a pulp and 

 mixed with water, the infusion is drunk once a day to reduce 

 swelling until the patient is cured. It is empkned specificalh for 

 the jcrgon or fer-dc-hinceiBoihrop.s airox). know n as n^n^n^nca. 



Other species of Rencalnua arc reputed to have medicinal 

 properties, in Brazil, the seeds of Rcnca/niia doniini^ensis Horan. 

 arc believed to control menstruation. The juice of this plant was 

 apparently used by the Maya to treat hemorrhoids (Usher 1974). 



The Wai-wai Indians of Guyana boil the entire plant of 

 Rcncalniia pcdicellaris A.C. Smith and bathe in the decoction to 

 reduce fever (Altschul 1973). 



ReneaImiathyrsoidea(R.et P.) Pet E., Nov. Gen. et Sp. 2( 1838) 

 25. t. 134. 



Collect.: Davis & Yost 934, 935. 



Waorani Informant: Geque (m). Downriver dialect: n.v. r^^nt^- 



The Waorani recognize two varieties of this species: one. 



^^nl^ 



^^nt^ 



on the corolla and pink bracts. Both forms are valued in treating 

 snakebite b\ crushing the stem and drinking an infusion once a 

 day to prevent swelling. 



Renealmia sp. 



Collect.: Davis & Yost 1024. 



Waorani Informant: C^nto(m). Downriver dialect: n.v. t^^nt^ho 



Like other species of this genus, this low growing herb of the 

 primary forest is esteemed in treating snakebite. The stem is 

 crushed and a hot infusion, drunk once a day, is said to reduce 

 swelling and internal bleeding. 



Maranthaceae 



Calathea Standleyi Macbr. in Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot 

 Ser., I! (1931)54. 



180 



