Caapi red - Banisteriopsis muricata caapi

Banisteriopsis caapi, better known as caapi or yagé, is a type of liana from the Amazon rainforest that is used in Ayahuasca brews due to its MAO-inhibiting properties.

Latin name: Banisteriopsis Muricata

Common Name: Yage, Cielo, Caapi, Yaje, Muricata

Country of Origin: Brazil

Family: Malpighiaceae

Genus: Banisteriopsis.

Banisteriopsis muricata has very similar effects to the Banisteriopsis caapi. However, the B. muricata, which is a member of the Malpighiaceae family, is considered to be much more powerful. Its name comes from the rich red colour it produces when extracted, and its leaves are distinctly different to those of the yellow B. caapi. The difference between the two is also highlighted by the difference between the types of ants that inhabit these vines.

The vine grows plentifully in the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador, close to the border with Peru. The root grows well in a rich, moist soil, with partial shade to full sun. Its leaves are broad and have little hairs on the underside that gives them an ethereal, silvery appearance.

Amongst the indigenous people of the Amazon, the B. muricata is considered to be one of the powerful ‘Master Plant Teachers’, and there are thought to be more than 70 tribes that have traditionally used this vine for a range of purposes.