Ishpingo

Nectandra spp. (en verwante laurierachtigen, o.a. Ocotea en Aiouea)

Trees of the laurel family with fragrant seeds and bark. Little is known about the substances in the seeds and their effect in people.

Safety notes

Do not use internally: the substances in the seeds and their safety have hardly been studied, and healers mix them with poisonous seeds such as those of cabalonga. Not in pregnancy. 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)

Curanderismo of northern Peru: Do not use internally; not in pregnancy.

Preparation

Externally: the ground seeds boiled in bath water, or steeped in alcohol or agua florida to rub over the body.

Use in traditions

The name comes from Quechua (ishpinku); in Mochica the plant is called espingo. The seeds have belonged to the healers of the north coast for almost two thousand years: they appear on Moche pottery and have been found in graves of the Moche elite. Today healers mix ishpingo with the seeds of other plants in baths and cleansings for susto (fright), mal aire (bad air) and nervous complaints, and rub an extract on painful joints. In Ecuador ishpingo is the name of a cinnamon-like spice, Ocotea quixos.

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.

Curanderismo of northern Peru

Attributed effects

In baths and cleansings for susto, mal aire and nervous complaints, and as a rub for joint pain.

Preparation and amount

Boil ground seeds, mixed with other seeds, in bath water; or steep them in alcohol or agua florida to rub over the body.

Caution: Do not use internally; not in pregnancy.

Ways to prepare herbs: Tincture Powder and kitchen

Sources

All herbs from South America →