Desfontainia R.
Aka Desfontainia spinosa R.
Location: Central America and South America, Typically in Highland Geography
Desfontainia spinosa is a very beautiful plant with glossy Christmas-holly-like leaves and long tubular red and yellow flowers. The berries of this attractive shrub generally range in color from white to green. Despite being a shrub, some species of the plant can grow up to 6 feet in height.
Taique is used by man Colombian shamans still to this very day. The Kamsa tribe, for instance, still make a tea of the leaves to aid in divination, medical diagnosis and dream walking. The drink is supposed to induce some crazy dreams. Desfontainia is well known for its shamanic purposes throughout other parts of South America as well, including most notably, southern Chile.
