Uchu Sanango (Tabernaemontana sananho) – Shredded Wood from Peru

More about Uchu Sanango (Tabernaemontana sananho)

Tabernaemontana is a genus of 100-110 species of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae (Dogbane family), with a pan-tropical distribution. They are shrubs and small trees growing to 1-1,5 meter tall. The leaves are evergreen, opposite, 3-25 cm long, with milky sap. The flowers are fragrant, 1-5 cm diameter and consist of five pointed petals that mostly grow in clusters out of the calyx. The two symmetrical fruits are divided and marked with fairly visible veins.

Uchu Sanango is the common name in Peru. Some of the tribes in Brazil like the Kuntanawa also refer to the plant as Sanango instead of the more commonly used Sananga. Naturally we must remember that this border is artificial and only a little over 100 years old, the tribes have always lived on both sites of the border.