crush the stems and let them soak in water with stirring; the 

 resuhing tea is drunk as a contraceptive (Schultes 1982). 



Amazonian arrow-poisons have been the source of several 

 important medicines in our Western pharmacopoeas. The 

 strength of this species as a poison and its reported use as both a 

 contraceptive and an anti-fungal agent strongly suggest the 

 advisability of further phytochemical investigation. 



A\\()NA( I:Ai: 



Cuatteria cf. Schunkevigoi Simpson in Ph\tologia, 30(5) 307 



(1975). 

 Collect.: Davis & Yost 1011. 

 Waorani Informant: Tomo(m). Upri\'er dialect: n.\'. nicneclow^ 



When the bark of this forest tree is crushed and mi.xed with 

 water, the pulp and water are rubbed over the head and shoulders 

 of febrile individuals to force the "fever to flee." 



M\ RISTI('A('I-AI- 



Iryanthera cf. elliptica Ducke in Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci. 26 

 (1936) 219. 



Collect,: Davis & Yost 1020. 



Waorani Informant: C^tnto (m). Downriver dialect: n.v. awa- 

 nioncaw^ 



The resin of this tree of the primary forest is a recognized 

 antifungal agent. The Waorani remove the inner bark, twist the 

 cambium and applv' the resin directly onto infected areas. It is also 

 used to kill mites and scabies. This plant is said to be appreciably 

 stronger than V'irola peruviana (A. DC.) Warb. {Davis 1019), 



Iryanthera juru'ensis Warb, ex Pilger in Verb. Bot. Ver. Brand. 47 



(1905) 137. 

 Collect.: Davis & Yost 1014. 

 Waorani Informant: Gcque (m). Downriver dialect: n.v. win^i- 



nioncaw^ 



This tree of the primary' forest attains a height of 50 m. The 

 copious "resin" of the inner bark oxidizes to a brilliant red. The 

 Waorani say that, when applied directly to fungal infections, the 



185 



