Condor Plants

In northern Peruvian curanderismo, a variety of club mosses are used by folk healers as medicinal plants, amulets, and additives to the San Pedro drink· (cf. Trichocereus pachanoi). In the northwestern lowlands, club mosses are normally subsumed under the name condor, condor, or condor plant. In the highlands of Huancabamba and Las Huaringas, they are known as huaminga. Only one as yet unidentified species is included among the magical plants of the category hornamo (cf. Senecio spp.). Club mosses are also used as bath additives and for magical defense during healing rituals (Giese 1989, 227f.*). Condor Plants Used in Northern Peruvian Curanderismo <tbody> </tbody> Lycopodium spp. condor purga condorillo hierba de condorillo hornamo lirio hornamo loro huaminga misha huaminga oso trenza amarilla trenza shimbe Lycopodium affine Hook. et Grev. condorillo Lycopodium clavatum 1. trencilla verde Lycopodium contigum Kltz. trencilla blanca Lycopodium crassum H.B.K. trencilla Lycopodium magellanicum condoro Lycopodiumreflexum condaro Lycopodium saururus hierba del condor condor misha Lycopodium spurium trencilla. dellago Lycopodium tetragonum condorillo de quatro filos Lycopodium vestitum trencilla blanca When condorillo or condor misha is added to the San Pedro drink, the plant spirit appears to the curandera as a condor. At the behest of the healer, the condor can go on astral journeys and fulfill small tasks. As a result, he can remedy harmful magic and bring the lost soul back to a patient suffering from susto, "fright" (Giese 1989, 249*). There may even be some club moss species with psychoactive effects: It is possible that Lycopodium sp. also augments the hallucinogenic effects of the San Pedro drink. Manuel, a plant dealer from Trujillo, said that the plant that he called "trenza shimbe" and appears to be the same as "condor misha" serves to improve the "visionary sight." (Giese 1989,228*) One plant dealer at a "witches' market" in Chiclayo in July 1997 told me that condora, which I was able to identify as Lycopodium magellanicum, has hallucinogenic effects, especially when combined with Trichocereus pachanoi. More than one hundred alkaloids have been found in the genus Lycopodium (Gerard and MacLean 1986). To date, it is uncertain whether there are any psychoactive alkaloids among these. Six alkaloids have been detected in the Chilean species Lycopodium magellanicum (Loyola et al. 1979). It is possible that a psychoactive use of club mosses is known in Chile or was practiced in former times. Lycopodium paniculatum A.N. Desv. is called llanca-lahuen, "precious medicine;' in Mapuche and is known in the local Spanish as licopodio, pimpinela, and palmita (Mosbach 1992, 55*). The Mapuche use another species, Lycopodium gayanum Remy et Fee, which they call ngalngal, as a sedative medicine. In the local Spanish, it is known as harina de los brujos, "flour of the witches" (Mosbach 1992,55*).

Literature Gerard, Robert v., and David B. MacLean. 1986. GC/MS examination of four Lycopodium species for alkaloid content. Phytochemistry 25 (5): 1143-50. It is possible that Lycopodium sp. also augments the hallucinogenic effects of the San Pedro drink. Manuel, a plant dealer from Trujillo, said that the plant that he called "trenza shimbe" and appears to be the same as "condor misha" serves to improve the "visionary sight." (Giese 1989,228*) Loyola, Luis A., Glauco Morales, and Mariano Castillo. 1979. Alkaloids of Lycopodium magellanicum. Phytochemistry 18:1721-23.