Takini

In Amazonia, the inner bark of this tree, known locally as misho chaqui, is said to be used as a hallucinogen. Animal tests have shown that rats exhibit the same symptoms after ingesting this plant as they do when inebriated with Cannabis (Buckley et al. 1973; Duke and Vasquez 1994,86*). The magicians of the Caribs and Africans living in the wilds of Guyana used various species of the genus Helicostylis (H. pedunculata Benoist) to induce visions (Schultes and Farnsworth 1982, 184*). The reddish sap of this sacred tree is made into a raw drug known as takini (D. McKenna 1995, 101 *; Schultes and Hofmann 1992,45*).

Literature Buckley, J. P., R. J. Theobald Jr., 1. Cavero, et al. 1973. Preliminary pharmacological evaluation of extracts of takini: Helicostylis tomentosa and Helicostylis pedunculata. Lloydia 36:341-45.