internally and preparation from bark produces illusions. 
Used by Indians. Narcotic. ”’ 
It is from the Amazonian regions of Colombia, how- 
ever, that the greatest number of collections of the mal- 
pighiaceous drugs has recently been taken. Klug 1971 
and Cuatrecasas 10597, both from the Comisaria del 
Putumayo, represent apparently Banisteriopsis Rusby- 
ana, 2 species usually characterized by large leaves. The 
former collection, from the village of Umbria, is reported 
to be called ‘‘chagro-panga or oco-yagé’’ ; the latter, from 
near Puerto Ospina on the Rio Putumayo, is known 
amongst the natives as yageuco (undoubtedly the same 
as oco-yagé) and is reputedly cultivated by the Kofan 
Indians who use the leaves in the preparation of the nar- 
cotic yajé. In 19538, I collected what appears to be Ban- 
isteriopsis Rusbyana near Mocoa, capital town of the 
Putumayo, under the name chagropanga; the leaves of 
this plant are reputedly used together with the pounded 
bark of B. inebrians in the preparation of the drink yaye. 
In 1931, Klug discovered in Umbria what turned out 
to be an undescribed species of Banisteriopsis. Described 
by Morton (58) as Banisteriopsis inebrians, this forest 
liana, which grows toa length of ninety feet, goes under 
the epithet of yagé del monte amongst the Ingano In- 
dians of the Putumayo. Klug collected ample botanical 
material of the yagé del monte and observed (58): ‘‘One 
of the most interesting plants found in the region of the 
upper courses of the Rios Putumayo and Caqueta is the 
yagé. The Indians make a beverage of either the wild or 
cultivated yagé, boiling it in a large earthenware vessel 
an entire day, until there is formed a sort of liquid, like 
the syrup of sugar cane. They add to the yagé the leaves 
and the young shoots of the branches of the oco-yagé or 
chagro-panga (No. 1971), and it is the addition of this 
plant which produces the ‘bluish aureole’ of their visions. *’ 
[ 35 | 
