''Gaultheria insipida'', called ''chichaja'' in Spanish,
is a flowering
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
of the plant
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''
Gaultheria''. The species is native to the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
; specimens have been found in
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, and
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
This semi-
hardy
Hardy may refer to:
People
* Hardy (surname)
* Hardy (given name)
* Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica
* Mount Hardy, Enderby Land
* Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island
* Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands
Australia
* Hardy, Sout ...
shrub grows to a height of . Its long, thin branches bear bright green leaves, which may grow up to long. In autumn, the leaves turn a burgundy colour, and the shrub's pink flowers mature into small, white berries topped with five red spots.
Two
varieties have been described: ''G. insipida insipida'' and ''G. insipida peruviana''.
James Francis Macbride
James Francis Macbride (19 May 1892 16 June 1976) was an American botanist who devoted most of his professional life to the study of the flora of Peru.
Early life and education
Born on 19 May 1892 in Rock Valley, Iowa, Macbride graduated from th ...
found the latter in the
Huánuco Region
Huánuco (; qu, Wanuku) is a city in central Peru. It had a population of 196,627 as of 2017 and in 2015 it had a population of 175,068. It is the capital of the Huánuco Region and the Huánuco District. It is the seat of the diocese of Huán ...
of central Peru, and published his description in 1959.
Inga traditional medicine
In the
Putumayo department of southwestern Colombia, the
Inga people
The Inga people are an indigenous ethnic group from the Southwest region of Colombia with a historical relation to the Incas.
They speak a dialect of Quechua known as Inga Kichwa. Almost all Inga people are bilingual in Inga and Spanish, which h ...
treat
chronic pain and other conditions with a drink by simmering the root of the plant in water for several hours.
For
myalgia
Myalgia (also called muscle pain and muscle ache in layman's terms) is the medical term for muscle pain. Myalgia is a symptom of many diseases. The most common cause of acute myalgia is the overuse of a muscle or group of muscles; another likel ...
(body ache), low energy/motivation, and
hypersomnia
Hypersomnia is a neurological disorder of excessive time spent sleeping or excessive sleepiness. It can have many possible causes (such as seasonal affective disorder) and can cause distress and problems with functioning. In the fifth edition ...
, the patient drinks an
infusion of chichaja. The infusion is also said to cleanse the blood and to help prevent disease. In cases of
rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
,
chronic fatigue, or
hemorrhoid
Hemorrhoids (or haemorrhoids), also known as piles, are vascular structures in the anal canal. In their normal state, they are cushions that help with stool control. They become a disease when swollen or inflamed; the unqualified term ''hemo ...
s, the patient drinks the infusion hot.
For
malaise
As a medical term, malaise is a feeling of general discomfort, uneasiness or lack of wellbeing and often the first sign of an infection or other disease. The word has existed in French since at least the 12th century.
The term is often used ...
, the patient drinks a
decoction of , (''
Eugenia victoriana''), , (a
Rubiaceae species), ''
Peperomia'', and
chamomile three times per day.
The Ingas prepare an infusion of , , and chichaja in the belief that it promotes the purging of toxins through the
sweat gland
Sweat glands, also known as sudoriferous or sudoriparous glands, , are small tubular structures of the skin that produce sweat. Sweat glands are a type of exocrine gland, which are glands that produce and secrete substances onto an epithelial sur ...
s.
In Colombia, is sometimes called ''yagé hembra'' ("female
ayahuasca
AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descen ...
"),
whereas in Peru this nickname describes ''
Diplopterys cabrerana
''Diplopterys cabrerana'' is a shrub native to the Amazon Basin, spanning the countries of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In the Quechua languages it is called chaliponga or chagropanga; in parts of Ecuador it is known as chacruna—a name o ...
''.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
''Gaultheria insipida''at Botanicus.org
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13914116
Flora of Colombia
Flora of Ecuador
insipida
Medicinal plants of South America