More about Virola (Virola peruviana)
Virola peruviana is a species of tree in the Myristicaceae (Nutmeg family). It is found in Brazil (Amazonas, Pará), Columbia, Ecuador , Venezuela and Peru. It grows to a height of about 35 meters. The fruit is ellipsoidal, 14-24 mm long and 11-23 mm in diameter, forming groups of about 5 to 15.
Traditional use of Virola
Tribes through the Amazon region use traditionally different species of this genus to make hallucinogenic snuffs. Nowadays its use is nearly extinct with very few tribes still practicing this tradition. From Venezuela to Colombia and Brazil. Tribes such as the Tukano that live on the border of Brazil and Colombia. These tribes prepare a powder they mix with preparations of other plants like the the justicia bush and lime or plant ashes. They blow the preparation up their nose with long tubes with the help of a shaman.
Parica
Apparently only tribes in the Western Amazon basin and parts of the Orinoco Basin its use it in magico-religious rituals. According to the Brazilian botanist Adolpho Ducke the Indians on the Rio Negro produced a snuff called paricá from the leaves off the tree, although that seems to be a general name also in use for snuffs of other plants like Anadenanthera peregrina.
.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.