Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as caapi vine, ayauhuasca or yage, is native to the Amazon and South America. This particularly variety is ‘black’ ayahuasca, gifted to us from a plant edler, Dan Schreiber. Often in traditional plant medicine, the name doesn’t so much refer to the colour, but the effect.
As far as we can tell, this is NOT Banisteriopsis muricata which is also referred to as black ayahuasca, neither does it appear to be Alicia anisopetala. This is fast growing, and takes from cuttings much easier than Cielo.
It contains harmines, harmalines, tetrahydraharmines in both the leaf and stem. This plant has a rich history of use throughout Amazonic tribes for medicinal healing and spiritual communication as the MAOI (mono-amine-oxidase-inhibitor) element of the drink also known as ayahuasca. Caapi vine is a entheogenic plant teacher in itself and is historically used by itself; both the plant and the drink mixture are referred to as ayahuasca.
The other main ingredient to the ayahuasca drink is a DMT bearing plant such as Psychotria viridis, Psychotia carthagensis or Diplopterys cabrerana which also contains 5-Meo-DMT (all of which can be referred to as chakruna). The MAOIs make the DMT alkaloid orally active, allowing for a lengthened visionary and spiritual experience in South American Amazonic culture.
Caapi vine loves a humid, tropical environment with lots of sun and water. It will grow quickly in such conditions.
Plant for sale is not the exact one pictured, but similar.
Care for your plants: should the plant arrive stressed, email a photo within 2 days of receiving. I suggest a stress dose of SeaSol, and a part-shady, part-sunny warm location.
This plant is sold as a live specimen for propagation purposes only.
