Quote:The years that followed saw an increase in interest that was characterized by confusion, misidentifications and published assignments of botanical identities by people who often had never seen the plants.
Among the most persistent points of confusion has been an unidentified admixture plant called Caapi-piníma (Painted caapi). Spruce described its young shoots as shining green with blood-red veins and noted its leaves were stained and veined with red. Only a small amount of its ROOT was said to be used.
His suspicion this might represent a Haemadictyon (Prestonia amazonica) has caused considerable confusion due to later readers; beginning with Reinberg who apparently considered it a positive identification.
Spruce had never actually even seen said Haemadictyon, he simply mentioned that a plant he found was similar to a description he had read.
Despite the plant never being collected by Spruce, the part used said to be the root, later workers in the area being unable to find it in use and the Haemadictylon (Prestonia) only having been collected some 1500 miles from where the plant mentioned by Spruce was reportedly used, it has been presented both as the identity of yajé, of which the stem was said to be used, and also as its DMT containing admixture, said to be a leaf. Both of these identifications are highly likely to be incorrect.
It is most commonly attributed with representing a Psychotria but Spruce described it as a vining plant (Most Psychotrias would never be perceived of as vining).
It has also been given the common name of yajé which has been presented as suggesting that Diplopterys cabrerana was the material purportedly used in preparing a "Prestonia amazonica" brew later analyzed by Hochstein & Paradies and determined to contain DMT.
Ott 1993 points out that despite the reasonable assumptions of it being a Psychotria or Diplopterys, the distinct possibility exists that it may have been an altogether different admixture plant. [Root use of neither has been reported nor is either green with veins and/or stains of red.
https://www.erowid.org/l...restonia_amazonica.shtml Tetrapterys methystica came to mind when this was described as a vine which also was given the common name yagé. Tetrapterys methystica seemed reasonable, yet I don't recall it being mentioned in this situation...
Prestonia amazonica was frequently mentioned. Psychotria species and diplopterys cabrerana were also mentioned, however the description of a green plant with red veins does not fit in this situation.
Maranta leuconeura is native to Brazilian rainforest, it has dark green leaf with red veins, it is also a common house plant. I am uncertain as to the chemical composition of this plant, or if any part of it has been used by native peoples as a medicine, this plant only came to mind as it fits the physical description of green leaf with red veins. Wouldn't it be interesting to find that one of these south American plants that have become ornamental was actually a lost ayahuasca admixture...
Fittonia verschaffeltii is a plant with green leaf that are covered with white to pink to deep red veins, this plant is native to Peru, and is a fairly common ornamental house plant.
Fittonia albivenis is native to the rainforests of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Brazil. It is notable for its dark green foliage with strongly contrasting white or red veins, this plant is common as an ornamental house plant and has a history of medicinal use. Again, here is another plant where I am uncertain of its chemical composition, but which fits the physical description and is native to the correct region.
Quote:Ott 1993 points out that despite the reasonable assumptions of it being a Psychotria or Diplopterys, the distinct possibility exists that it may have been an altogether different admixture plant. [Root use of neither has been reported nor is either green with veins and/or stains of red.
I think ott May have been onto something, and that perhaps it was an all together different admixture plant. The few species which fit the physical descriptions and are native to the proper regions regions, which I listed above would be a good start into investigating potential candidates.
Chemical analysis of Maranta leuconeura, Fittonia verschaffeltii and Fittonia albivenis would be of much interest, I have not searched for any published chemical analysis of these plants, but that's going to be my next step, well, that, and I'm going to continue to search for potential plant candidates based on the region and physical description provided.
-eg