Pn»i RA( I \i- 



F^iper augustum Rudgc, Icon Pc. Gui. (1805) 10. t. 7. 



Collect.: Davis & Yost 938. 



Waorani Informant: Gcquc(m). Do\vnri\cr dialect: n.\. nfnipo- 

 cao 



The Waorani break the stems of this shrub off and use them as 

 tooth brushes. The ancestors emplo\ed this plant to pre\ enl tootli 

 decay and deliberately blacken teeth. 



Various species of Piper haw been reported as medicines in the 

 northwest Amazon. In the Colombian Amazon, a poultice of the 

 leaves oi Piper //o.siniannianuni (Miq.) C. DC. is applied to 

 warts to hasten their disappearance. 1 he Culina Indians of east- 

 ern Peru prepare a snuff from the dried lea\es and roots oi Piper 

 inicrifuni Trel. ex Macbride as a tobacco substitute: the essential 



oils may ha\e psychoactive properties. The Karijonas o\ the 

 upper Vaupes treat bronchial ailments, including tuberculosis, 



b\ preparing a hot tea of the leaves and stems of Pij)cr Schuhcsii 

 Yunck, which ser\es as a strcMig diuretic. The Kofan of Ecuador 

 crush the aromatic leaves and stenis of Piper scrpvfis (Sw.) Lou- 

 don to applv as a poultice to relieve the sting of the large "conga'' 

 ant (Schultes in prep). 



Piper conojoense Trel. el Yunck., Piperaceae Northern S. Am. 



(1950)46. 

 Collect.: Davis& Yost 939. 

 Waorani Informant: Geque(m). Downriver dialect: n.\. vaeah^w 



The stems of this common shrub are broken off at the nodes 

 and used as tooth brushes bv the WacMani. The ancestors are said 

 to have used this plant to turn teeth black, and it was thought to 

 prevent t(n)th decay. 



M()HA( FAE- 



Cecropia sciadophylla Mart, in Flora, 24 ( 1841 ) pt. 2. Beibl. 93 



Collect.: Davis & Yost 921. 



Waorani Informant: Taade (m). Ridge dialect: n.w nuifmini^o 



182 



