Leaves, Seeds and Root Bark

What this category lists

Each product comes in a kraft-paper pouch with a Herborist label that gives the plant name, its Latin name and a short tag such as "[herb]", "[seeds]" or "[whole]". The listings describe the plant and the pack. None of the labels states a country of origin, so this page does not give one either.

Products, plant parts and sizes

Where these plants grow naturally

The ranges below come from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), compiled by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They describe where each species is native, not where a batch was harvested.

• Chacruna (Psychotria viridis) is a shrub or small tree of the coffee family, native from south-east Mexico, Central America, Cuba and Hispaniola to Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northern Brazil.
• Chaliponga (Diplopterys cabrerana) is a liana native to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and northern Brazil.
• Yopo (Anadenanthera peregrina) is a tree of the pea family, native to the Caribbean and tropical South America; it is also called cohoba or paricá.
• Hawaiian baby woodrose (Argyreia nervosa) belongs to the morning glory family. Despite its English name it is native to India, Assam, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, and was introduced to Hawaii.
• Mimosa hostilis is listed by botanists as Mimosa tenuiflora, a spiny shrub or small tree native from Mexico through Central America to Colombia, Venezuela and eastern Brazil, where it is called jurema preta.

Related categories

Whole chacruna leaves from Ucayali in Peru are under Chacruna, whole chaliponga leaves from Napo under Chaliponga, and cebil seeds (Anadenanthera colubrina), a different species of the same genus as yopo, under Yopo.

Packaging and delivery

All products are sold strictly as collectible or souvenir items. Orders are prepared on business days and shipped by Mycotrop in neutral outer packaging that does not describe the contents. When tracking is available, the link is emailed after dispatch. Many international deliveries arrive within 3 to 15 business days after dispatch; this is an estimate only. See Delivery, Tracking & Returns for the full terms.

Frequently asked questions

Are chacruna and chaliponga related?

Not closely. Chacruna, Psychotria viridis, belongs to the coffee family (Rubiaceae); chaliponga, Diplopterys cabrerana, to the Malpighiaceae.

Do any of the five plants belong to the same family?

Yes, two of them: yopo and Mimosa tenuiflora are both in the pea family, Fabaceae. Chacruna (Rubiaceae), chaliponga (Malpighiaceae) and Hawaiian baby woodrose (Convolvulaceae) each come from a different family.

What do the tags on the labels mean?

Each Herborist label carries a short tag for what is in the pouch: "[herb]" on chacruna and chaliponga, "[seeds]" on yopo and Hawaiian baby woodrose, and "[whole]" on the Mimosa root bark, which comes in pieces.

Which pack sizes are available?

From 5 g (Hawaiian baby woodrose) to 1 kg (chacruna and yopo). Each product page lists its own sizes.

Do the labels state an origin?

No. None of the five Herborist labels names a country, so the product pages give the botanical native range instead.