Chachacomo

Escallonia resinosa (en verwante soorten, o.a. E. micrantha)

A shrub or tree of 2 to 10 metres with reddish, papery bark and small, finely toothed leaves full of resin and essential oil. Almost nothing has been studied about its effect in people.

Safety notes

Little studied; not internally in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.

Cautions by tradition (1)

Kallawaya healing in Bolivia: Biliary colic needs a doctor. Not internally in pregnancy.

Preparation

Externally: rub fresh leaves between the palms until the oil is released and lay them warm on the skin.

Use in traditions

Andean peoples have long used the hard wood for the foot plough (chaquitaclla), and the Incas probably made drinking cups (keros) from it. The leaves give a beige dye for cotton and wool. Around Cuzco people chew leaf and flower for toothache, rinse with the juice of ground leaves in lukewarm water for mouth ulcers, and lay rubbed leaves warm on rheumatic spots. The Kallawaya healer Severino Vila calls chachakuma a plant of the high plateau of which he distinguishes a male and a female, and which he mixes with other remedies. The French researcher Louis Girault names the Kallawaya species Escallonia micrantha.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Kallawaya healing in Bolivia

Attributed effects

To aid digestion and for biliary colic; baths for rheumatism and for children learning to walk.

Preparation and amount

Steep leaf and stem; boil a generous amount for a bath.

Caution: Biliary colic needs a doctor. Not internally in pregnancy.

Ways to prepare herbs: Steam and bath

Sources

All herbs from South America →