Flora

The forests that stretch across Bolivia are under constant threat by mining, oil and gas exploration as well as logging – both legal and illegal.

CEBIL: Anadenanthera Peregrina & Anadenanthera Colubrina (link a Wikipedia)

Special secret: The seeds of the variety known as cebíl were being smoked in pipes over 4,500 years ago in this region. They are believed to have had a particularly profound effect upon the culture of Tiahuanaco (literally, “dwelling of the god”). The hallucinations cebíl can induce appear to have exerted a considerable influence upon the iconography of the so-called Tiahuanaco style.

The iconography of Chavín de Huantar is interwoven with similar motifs. The intertwined and entangled snakes that come out of the head of the oracle god can, for example, be interpreted as cebíl-induced hallucinations.Cebíl’s usage as a snuff in the southern Andes is first mentioned in the Relación of Cristobal de Albornoz. Use as an additive to maize beer (chicha) was first described by Polo de Ondegardo in 1571. The Mataco Indians are said to have brewed a cebíl wine even during the twentieth century.

Brazil-nut: Bertholletia excelsa

Special secret: The Brazil nut is a large tree, reaching 50m tall, with a trunk 1-2m in diameter, making it among the largest of trees in the Alarachi forest. It may live for 500 years or more, and can often reach a thousand years of age. The most important characteristic of Brazil nuts is their selenium content. One ounce of Brazil nuts (about six nuts) contains 544 micrograms of selenium, which is almost 10 times the RDA (55 micrograms). Selenium interacts with proteins in your body to form selenoproteins, which are known to play a role in thyroid function and can enhance immunity.

Laurel

Cedar: Cedrela odorata

A very important timber tree, producing a lightweight fragrant wood with very good resistance to termites and other wood-boring insects, and also rot-resistant outdoors. The wood is often sold under the name “Spanish-cedar” (like many trade names, confusing as it is neither Spanish nor a cedar), and is the traditional wood used for making cigar boxes, as well as being used for general outdoor and construction work, panelling and veneer wood. It is also used for the necks and linings (interior strips of wood that attach the top and bottom of the guitar to the sides) of classical guitars, as well as bodies and necks of some electric guitars.

Lapacho