1. Una de gato-also known as cat's claw, is a hairy vine named for its cat-like tentacles. The bark of this vine is boiled for tea , or soaked in alcohol and consumed to treat prostate and lung cancer, rheumatism and arthritis.
2. Jergon Sacha also known as fer de lance plant is an understory herb with bark patterns nearly identical to the fer-de-lance, one of the Amazon's most poisonous snakes. The plant's bulbous root is made into a tea that is an effective remedy against the fer-de-lance bite. The root can also be applied directly to the wound.
3. Hierba Luisa- also known as lemon grass, smells like citron and is a prime ingredient in both Inca Cola, the national soft drink, and citronella, the natural insect repellant. When boiled it makes a stress reducing tea.
4. Bellaco Caspi- also known in English as himatanthus, exudes a white latex when its bark is cut. The gooey substance can be used to heal cuts, set broken bones, and even suffocate the botfly larvae that burrow beneath the human skin.
5. Shiringa- the rubber tree, brought extreme prosperity and misery to the Amazon during the 1880-1910 rubber boom. Like Bellaco Caspi, this trees exudes a white latex when cut. Ironically, natives have few uses for it besides repairing leaky boats.
6. Pan de Arbol- also known as breadfruit, is a staple food in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia from which it was imported to Peru in the 19th century. In the Amazon Basin, its' leaves are used for cleaning and sterilizing a woman after she gives birth.
7. Clavo Huascais a pungent, clove smelling vine. It is a powerful aphrodisiac and one of the several medicinal substances used in the Solucion de Siete Raices, a tonic taken to improve energy levels, reduce fever and boost the immune system.
8. Achiote- is a shrublike tree with red spiky fruit from which the Yagua Indians in the Iquitos area extract a crimson dye for painting their bodies and palm fiber skirts. It is also used to treat dysentery, venereal diseases, hepatitis and skin rashes.
9. Sangre de Grado or Dragon's Blood, is a medium sized tree that exudes a reddish latex used to stop vaginal hemorrhaging during childbirth. It is also used to decrease scarring and wrinkles. The sap is currently undergoing clinical trials in the U.S.
10. Cocana is a tree that yields tomato-like fruit that is high in vitamin C and often served as a juice in Amazon restaurants. It is also taken to control nausea and to treat snake or insect bites.
