Virola is a genus of flowering plants in the nutmeg family, Myristicaceae. It includes medium-sized trees native to rainforests of the tropical Americas, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil. Species are known commonly as epená, patricá, or cumala. They have glossy, dark green leaves and clusters of tiny yellow flowers, and may emit a pungent odor.

Traditional use

Several species of this genus have been used to create hallucinogenic snuff powders.

Chemical constituents

The tops of Virola oleifera have been shown to produce lignan-7-ols and verrucosin that have antifungal action regarding Cladosporium sphaerospermum in doses as low as 25 micrograms. Lignan-7-ols oleiferin-B and oleiferin-G worked for Cladosporium cladosporioides starting as low as 10 micrograms.

Species

71 species are accepted.

• Virola aequatorialis

• Virola aguarunana

• Virola albidiflora

• Virola allenii

• Virola alvaroperezii

• Virola amistadensis

• Virola bicuhyba

• Virola bombuscaroensis

• Virola caducifolia

• Virola calimensis

• Virola calophylla

• Virola calophylloidea

• Virola carinata

• Virola chrysocarpa

• Virola coelhoi

• Virola cogolloi

• Virola crebrinervia

• Virola cumala

• Virola cuspidata

• Virola decorticans

• Virola divergens

• Virola dixonii

• Virola duckei

• Virola elongata

• Virola flexuosa

• Virola fosteri

• Virola gardneri

• Virola guatemalensis

• Virola guggenheimii

• Virola koschnyi

• Virola kwatae

• Virola laevigata

• Virola lieneana

• Virola loretensis

• Virola macrocarpa

• Virola malmei

• Virola marleneae

• Virola megacarpa

• Virola michelii

• Virola micrantha

• Virola minutiflora

• Virola mollissima

• Virola montana

• Virola multicostata

• Virola multiflora

• Virola multinervia

• Virola nobilis

• Virola obovata

• Virola officinalis

• Virola otobifolia

• Virola parkeri

• Virola parvifolia

• Virola pavonis

• Virola peruviana

• Virola polyneura

• Virola reidii

• Virola rugulosa

• Virola sanguinea

• Virola schultesii

• Virola sebifera

• Virola sessilis

• Virola steyermarkii

• Virola subsessilis

• Virola surinamensis

• Virola theiodora (synonym Virola rufula )

• Virola tuckerae

• Virola urbaniana

• Virola venosa

• Virola villosa

• Virola weberbaueri

• Virola yasuniana

Gallery

Legal status

United States

Louisiana

Except for ornamental purposes, growing, selling or possessing Virola spp. is prohibited by Louisiana State Act 159.

See also

• Myristica — some species of this genus have been reclassified into Virola.

• Ayahuasca

• Entheogen

• Psychedelic plants

References

Notes

General references

• Jonathan Ott – Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines (2001)

• Richard Evans Schultes – Plants of the Gods (1992)

• Erowid Virola Vault

External links

• Sura.ots.ac.cr: — photos and info.

• Gardening.eu: Info on Growing