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Guayusa
Ilex guayusa
-2.15, -77.69
Field Notes
Description:
There are two types of guayusa here in our corner of the jungle. One grows into a large single trunk tree and grows quite tall. The other, pictured here, while still a tree, tends to have quite a few shoots off the original plant and won't grow as tall. The leaves grow on long streaming soft twigs.
Habitat:
It is native to the Amazon, but mostly what we see and use is transplanted. It grows in the Amazon rainforest of SE Ecuador.
Notes:
The leaves are used to make guayusa tea which is a favorite in many restaurants, prepared with more sugar than I like to think about, which his typical of drinks here. Among the Achuar we boil pots of guayusa tea every morning, rising around 3-4 am to drink, alone or in groups. After consuming as much as we can or as much as there is, everyone goes out and vomits whatever is still in their stomachs. It's called stomach washing. There is no spiritual connection, it is just tradition to start each morning with a clean stomach. I have been doing this for over 30 years and miss it when I am where there is none :-)
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