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The idea that certain plants are teachers is even
found in highly syncretic, modern rural-urban cults. In
Brazil, in the state of Acre, there are groups that use
the beverage prepared from Banisteriopsis caapi and
Psychotria viridis under the name Santo Daime,
because it is believed that these plants heal both the
body and the soul and teach the doctrine of Jesus
Christ (McKenna 1995:354).
Among vegetalistas there are several specializations,
according to the main plant used. Luna (1986:32±33)
classifies them as follows:
Ð Ayahuasquero: the person who uses ayahuasca
in his visions and healing. Normally a potion made
from the vine of Banisteriopsis caapi, and the
leaves of Psychotria viridis. The admixture may
differ, but the main ingredient will always be the
Banisteriopsis vine (Luna 1986:32).
Ð Camalonquero: the person who uses camalonga.
According to Luna (1986; 1991) this plant was
still unidentified, but Duke & Vasquez (1994)
identified it as Thevitia peruviana. I disagree with
this identification, since the Thevitia peruviana are
found all over the jungle. The seeds are also used
as beads by many women in the selva (jungle). I
have learned from my informant camalonqueros,
that the camalonga plant does not grow in the
selva itself, but comes from the sierra (mountainous
area) of Peru. See also Luna (1986:32;
1991:13).
Ð Tabaquero: the person who uses tobacco. This
tobacco is not the commercial grades of Nicotiana
tabacum, available today, but Nicotiana
The author, Wynand Koch, holding a painting received from
Shaman Don Francisco
rustica, a species much more potent, chemically
complex, and potentially hallucinogenic (McKenna
1992:196).
Ð ToeÂro: the person who uses toeÂ. Luna (1986;
1991) identified this plant as Brugmansia sauveolens,
Duke & Vasquez (1994:64) as the Datura
arborea and Dobkin de Rios (1984:130) as the
Datura sauvoleons. Talking to my toeÂro informants,
I found the toe to be of the Datura sp.
Ð Palero: the practitioner who has learned from
palos (sticks). Paleros use the bark of various large
trees such as ayahuÂman (Couroupita guianensis),
huacapu (Minguartia guianensis), clavohuasca
(Tynanthas panurensis), chuchuhuasa (Heisteria
pallida), chullachaki-caspi (Brysonima christianeae),
remocaspi (Aspidosperma excelsum) and
many others (Luna 1991:13).
Ð Catahuero: he person who uses catahua Ð Hura
crepitans (Luna 1986:33).
Besides vegetalistas, Luna (1986:33) also classifies
other types of practitioners:
Ð Oracionistas: who use mainly prayers and
encantations in their practice.
Ð Perfumeros: who practise a sophisticated sort of
`aromatherapy'.
Ð Espiritualistas: who deal with spirits.
This is just a basic classification, since I have found
that the same vegetalista often may master several of
these plants, and use them regularly. All my informants
used more than one plant. Don Fernando, a
camalonquero, made use of the camalonga and
ayahuasca, in the same ceremony, drinking it consecutively.
It is also a problem to distinguish oracionistas,
perfumeros and espiritualistas from
vegetalistas, since most of them use one or another
plant. Don Francisco, a perfumero, also made use of
the ayahuasca in his ceremonies, so did DonÄ a Otilia,
an oracionista.
I have found the terms maestro, banco and brujo
often used. A vegetalista in training will always refer
to his teacher as maestro, even after he has completed
his training. I have found the term banco to refer to
vegetalistas of great knowledge. According to one of
my informants, Don Francisco, a banco is a practitioner
who lies face down on the floor, then enters
into trance with the spirits descending upon him, as
though he was a bench (banco). Further, Don
Francisco also sees the banco as a vegetalista, able
to travel between the three realms of mestizo
cosmology. Bancos are hard to find, since they are
considered to be men of exceptional knowledge. The
term brujo negro is used for a vegetalista who
practises black magic, in other words, who uses
medicinal herbs and casts spells to cause harm to
50 ISSN 0256±6060±Unisa Lat. Am. Rep. 16(2) 2000