Mansoa alliacea / Ajos Sacha / Bignoniaceae (Bignonia family)
Information
This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption
or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this
website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended
for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be
interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product.
The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this
product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in
the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's
risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and
interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for
any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we
deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain
omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the
documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make
any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these
plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition.
Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular
purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose
may be lacking.
Other Names
Adenocalymma alliaceum, Adenocalymma pachypus, Adenocalymma sagotii, Pachyptera alliacea, Pseudocalymma pachypus, Pseudocalymma sagotti, Pseudocalymma alliaceum, Bignonia alliacea, Mansoa alliacea, Bignonia aequinoctialis, Aboeja-mibia, Ah-kah-pota, Ajo Macho, Ajo Sacha, Ajos Sacha, Ajosacha, Ajos del Monte, Amazonian Garlic Bush, Ayotete, Be'o-ho, Be'o-ja, Pusanga, Bejuco de Ajo, Boens, Cipo-alho, Cipo-dalho, False Garlic, Garlic Rope, Garlic Vine, Gonofroe-tite, Ilay Kamwi, Ka Ale, Knof-looklian, Knoflook Liaan, Koenofrokoetite, Kwi-po-kan, Liane-ail, Nia Boens, Nishi Boains, Posatalu, Sacha Ajo, Sucho Ajo, Shansque Boains, Tingi-tite, Vova, Wild Garlic, Woe-ipole.
Description
Literally translated as "Fake Garlic", Ajos Sacha is a vine-like tree whose leaves, when crushed, smell like garlic, with a hint of onion. Ajos Sacha has many spiritual uses, and is a favorite with hunters. Ritual purification of the fisherman's body, tools, and canoes with Ajos Sacha to assure a good catch, are common practice. The plant is also used in a "Baño de florecimiento", meaning "Flourishing bath" to attract good luck, wealth and prosperity into one's life. Among many other herbs, such as Mucura (Petivera alliacea), Guayusa (Ilex guayusa), Toe (Brugmansia suaveolens) and Piri Piri (Cyperus articulatus), Ajos sacha is often used as an admixture of Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) preparations. It is a teacher-plant.
Scent
This vine has a strong Garlic fragrance, and is even used as substitute for Garlic in food.
Aromatic Properties
The plant, when used as an amulet and its fragrance when burned will drive away evil spirits. Used for cleansing the aura or to purify ritual objects.
Contents
Chemicals reported in Ajos Sacha thus far include: 24-ethyl-cholest-7-en-3-beta-ol, 3-beta-hydroxy-urs-18-en-27-oic acid, alliin, allyl sulfides, alpha 4-hydroxy-9-methoxy-lapachone, alpha 9-methoxy-lapachone, apigenins, aspartic acid, beta-sitosterol, beta amyrin, beta-peltoboykinolic acid, cosmosiin, cyanidin-3-o-beta-d-rutinoside, daucosterol, diallyl sulfides, 1-2: 3-vinyl-dithi-4-ene, 1-2: 3-vinyl-dithi-5-ene, dithiacyclopentene, dotriacontan-1-ol, fucosterol, glutamic acid, glycyrrhetol, hentriacontanes, hexacosan-1-ol, hexatriacontans, leucine, luteolin, n-nonacosane, oct-1-en-3-ol, octacosan-1-ol, pentatriacont-1-en-17-ol, scutellarein-7-o-beta-d-glucuronide, stigmasterol, triacontan-1-ol, triallyl sulfides, trithiacyclohexene, n-tritriacontane, and ursolic acid. (1)
Historical
Ajos Sacha is well used and respected by most of the indigenous Indian tribes of the Amazon and almost all parts of the plant are used; the leaves, vine bark, and root. Most consider the plant to be "Magical" or "Spiritual" and capable of driving away evil spirits or used for good luck. The leaves, tied in bunches, can often be found in local huts and houses for this purpose, or, the leaves are burned as smudge over people or in houses to "cleanse the spirit" or to bring good luck. The Shipibo-Conibo Indians give a tea of bark to dogs to make them good hunters and also drink the tea themselves to bring good luck when hunting or fishing. Oftentimes, Ajos Sacha can be found as an adjunctive ingredient in the potion the shamans use in spiritual ceremonies called Ayahuasca. It is added to the brew to drive away evil spirits, or to purify the blood and body to make the Ayahuasca more readily accepted.
True communion with the spirits of plants can only be achieved, shamans believe, through a special diet. The diet consists of vegetables and special plants of the jungle, such as the Ajos Sacha.
Ajos Sacha is also quite well known and popular in the cities and towns in the Amazon and has a long history of use in herbal medicine systems in Peru and Brazil. (1)
Plant Description
Ajos Sacha grows into a cluster of vines, and it is common to plant it next to the trunk of a tree. Deep lavender flowers with white throat fading to a paler lavender. Blooms heavily in the Spring and Fall. Will have some flowers on and off throughout the year. Flowers start off purple and change to a lighter shade of lavender with age. Eventually fading to almost white. You will see 3 different color of flowers at the same time on the plant.
References
(1) Ajos Sacha, Raintree Plant Database
Back
Home
Register
My Order 
