Well for a while now, i have been very interested in finding outstanding cappi plants, and investigating the differences between black, red, and yellow ect. ayahuasca..
The theories i present are my own as well as sourced from ideas from people and threads on this forum, and other forums that discuss the topic. There is a few threads emerging along these lines, but as far as i know alot of this info is new to the western psychonaught.
Also i am in no way an expert, scientist, or botanist. Only a person of reasonable intillectual capacity who has great interest in the subject. Some info you read may conflict with what you have heard or believe to be true. as always is the case with ayahuasca, there is much confusion. I seek to start a discussion about this family of vines that resolves some of this confusion...
In many a shamans garden, there are vines that resemble b. cappi, but arent b. cappi, and some are classified by science, and some are not. But the psychoactive properties of these vines are unknown, even to local Peruvians. Only the shamans know of these plants, and it is always the case that shamans from different areas call the same plant different names...
Chaliponga is one of the plants where there is the most confusion. Some identify it as banisteriopsis rusbyana, a vine that looks like ayahuasca vine, still others identify it as a small bush like psychotria viridis, some identify it is diplopterys cabrerana.
The reason for this is there is at least 4 most likely many more Amazonian plants and vines that are used as ayahuasca admixtures that are called "Chaliponga".
I think the locals way of classifying plants is much more broad and less linear than our classification. I think (some of) their names refer to a general class of plants with similiar functions, rather than a particular species. Im not completly sure how it works thats just what i gather.
Alot of the stuff sold as chaliponga, can be several different kinds of leaf. Everyone is after the super potent chaliponga, which is potent at 5 grams or less, and generally is more potent and intense than even mimosa. Whatever the true identity of the true chaliponga is, it seems that it doesnt DROP SEED at all. Its a very rare and illusive plant and you will never see a seed or cutting for sale. If you do you either have a very unique oppurtunity or it is one of these other plants identified as chaliponga.
One of these plants FOR SURE that is most frequently sold as chali, is a plant that goes by many names, most commonly Banisteriopsis muricata or "black ayahuasca". This is one of the plants very poorly understood by the western world, and even in its own region. Banisteriopsis muricata can refer to black ayahuasca white ayahuasca... there are several colors of "black ayahuasca", or b. muricata. These ARE NOT the same thing as black or white ayahuasca you see for sale on vendors websites.
Most likely black red and white ayahuasca from most websites is either banisteriopsis cappi, or another very closly related sub-species. That is not to say that some vendors here and there really do have b. muricata black ayahuasca, but if they do they should make that explicitly clear because it differs greatly in potency and effects of b. cappi.
For example, when b. muricata is prepared, there is no other plant used. As we discussed it contains DMT in the leaves and harmalas in the vine. Preparation is different than standard ayahuasca preparation, because it is cooked much longer and is decanted several times and cooked down to an "essential oil" (basically like a tea, boiled for much longer and allowed to thicken and concentrate) The vine and leaf of the plant are combined to make this brew. for me 50 grams of the bark and 15-20 grams of the leaf is rare experience to behold. Also when working with less known admixtures and plants extreme caution must be used. The vine resembles ayahuasca but is black in color, the leafs resemble cappi leaves.
Another plant is found in water. Ordinarrly a cappi vine would drown if it lived in water all the time, but this plant is reffered to as oco-yage, or water ayahuasca. The identity of this plant is also disputed, but it is definetly one that is sold as chaliponga. A tentative identification of the plant is alecia anisopetala, it resembles the ayahuasca vine exept is much more RED and SMOOTH expecially on the inside. It also doesnt smell like cappi. The leaf can be broad with a point like aya leafs, or more mature leaves are bigger and less rounded more long thin and pointed. I also have this plant. It is pure jungle magic, its preparation on chemical constituents are thought to be similiar to b. muricata. The vine and leaf are used,, with no other admixture. It hasent been anylized but it is thought to contain harmalas in the vine and dmt in the leaf. it is highly probable that OCO YAGE and ALECIA ANISOPETALA (not spell checked) are one in the same.
There are a few others to be thrown into this clump of jungle mystery plants, which i am less qualified to speak about because i dont know much about them, only know of them:
ushpa chaqui- as far as i know there is no botanical classification?? It is not a vine like b. cappi or muricata. It is often identified as d. cabrerana, and this i believe is the plant MOST LIKELY to be the "chaliponga" that is potent at 5 grams. it is a bushy plant like chacruna, instead of a vine, and has long pointed leaves, consistant with what is thought of as chaliponga.
there is a family of vines called malphigae (may have spelled that wrong)- which resemble ayahuasca, and are even more poorly understood, but are to be considered part of this "new ayahuasca family" of plants which is ONLY JUST NOW coming to light.
One way to tell if you have "chaliponga" or which "chaliponga" you have is to examine the leaf. The leafs of the vines and muricatas, look like cappi leaves, they are broad in the middle with a little point at the end. They are also smooth and glossy.
The leaves of the water yage, resemble aya leaves, but once fully mature they resemble chaliponga leaves because they are long and thin. Heres the kicker, the "real chaliponga" (potent at 5 grams) leaves are smooth and glossy. When dried they BREAK OFF EASILY. the leaves of the oco yage have lots of HAIRS. thats how you know, it has hairs and isnt smooth and glossy.
Either way these are the plants we need to learn more about. These miracle ayahuascas which contain the power and the light in one plant. B. muricata, oco yage, and the other unidentified vines which resemble ayahuasca.
The next step is to get up pictures of all these different plants and sort of organize it and make some sort of AYAHUASCA REFERENCE DATABASE with pictures of plants, and descriptions of their properties and local uses etc.
Were just scratching the surface here, there is much to be discovered in this poorly understood family of vines.
Cheers! and contributions is valuable, even pictures or stories, anything!
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