‘Bejuco de Yagé’ with the Ministry of Public Works 
and that he doesn’t think it desirable to send the speci- 
mens abroad! Apparently, the climber has not been 
identified. ”’ 
The collection Killip & Smith 27385, from Iquitos, 
Peru, represents Banisteriopsis Caapi and reports the 
following information: ‘‘Ayahuasca. Woody vine. 
Strong narcotic tea brewed from the leaves and stem 
produces fanciful dreams; also used as a cure for many 
diseases and as an intoxicating beverage.’’ Killip & Smith 
29486 and 29825, from the same region, likewise repre- 
sent Banisteriopsis Caapi, but in connection with these 
two collections, the botanists made no notes as to their 
uses. Ducke 25258 is a flowering collection of Banisteri- 
opsis Caapi from a plant gathered in Amazonian Peru 
and cultivated in the Jardim Botdnico in Rio de Janeiro. 
Wilhams 3741 and 8224, also from the Iquitos area, like- 
wise are referable to Banisteriopsis Caapi, and are the 
basis of Williams’ report (108) that ‘‘the lower part of the 
stem and its leaves are crushed and boiled in water. When 
sufficiently triturated, the infusion is passed through a 
sieve to remove fibrous material, and to the residue water 
is added to render it drinkable. The resulting greenish- 
brown infusion has a disagreeable, bitter taste and is said 
to contain narcotic properties. ”’ 
From this wealth of material, we may judge that Ban- 
isteriopsis Caapi is rather commonly cultivated in Ama- 
zonian Peru. Still another collection, Seibert 2173 (also 
from the Amazonian basin of Peru but from the Rio 
Tahuamant in the Madre de Dios, far from the Iquitos 
area) has been determined as Banisteriopsis Caapi, even 
though its leaves are slightly atypical, due possibly to 
the fact that the plant was a wild liana in the jungle and 
not a cultivated shrub in open gardens. The collector 
reported: ‘‘Ayahuasca. Liana in forest. Infusion taken 
[ 84 ] 
