BT-086 · Solanaceae

Chiric sanango

Brunfelsia grandiflora

Evidence: TraditionalHigh risk

Its flowers open purple, then turn lavender and white; in English it is called “yesterday, today and tomorrow”.

Other names: Manaka
Part used: Root
Region: Amazon
Use: Ritual and shamanic, Poisonous, Healing

Photo: photographer_katya_kochetkova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In short

What is Chiric sanango?

Chiric sanango (Brunfelsia grandiflora) is a plant of the Solanaceae family. Traditions that use it: Amazon. Part used: root.

What is Chiric sanango used for?

Traditional use: One of the “teacher plants” of healers in the Peruvian Amazon. Scientific evidence: traditional. Contains scopoletin and some alkaloids.

Is Chiric sanango safe?

Safety label: high risk. Can cause trembling, chills, muscle twitching and seizures. Fatal poisonings in dogs are known.

Traditional use

Amazon

One of the “teacher plants” of healers in the Peruvian Amazon. The root is drunk for rheumatism and cold-related pain; its Quechua name means “the one that chills”.

Amazon

It is reported to be added to some ayahuasca preparations.

In nature

Where it grows: Humid forests of the western Amazon (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia); also grown as an ornamental.
Harvest season: Roots are collected all year.
Local names: No Turkish folk name. Local names: chiric sanango, manaka

Mix-up risk

Other Brunfelsia species sold as ornamentals are also poisonous.

Preparation

Root bark is steeped in alcohol or water.

What science says

Contains scopoletin and some alkaloids. Anti-inflammatory effects have been seen in the lab; there are no human studies. Brunfelsia species cause seizures in animals.