Botanical name: Banisteriopsis caapi Other names: Yagè, caapi, vine of the soul or dead, waska, ayahuasca Family: Malpighiaceae Parts used: Vine Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as the Vine of the Soul, is a sacred plant native to the Amazon rainforest of Peru, Brazil, Ecuador & Columbia. It is a large jungle vine and grows upto 30m in length. Different varieties are recognised by various peoples across its distribution and a number of similar species also exist. Banisteriopsis caapi has a long history of use by indigenous peoples of these areas for centuries if not millenia in the manufacture of the famous brew Ayahuasca. Ayahuasca has been used in traditional shamanic, cleansing & healing contexts and has been gaining more widespread contemporary use across the planet in recent decades.
