Photos by Bob Thomas. Taken in Bush Bush, Trinidad, November 2011.

Photo by Bob Thomas.  Taken in San Miguel, Toledo District, Belize, May 2005.

The trees above are bois bande, Richeria grandis, Trinidad’s (and other Caribbean countries) native viagra.  As you can see, one uses a machete (cutlass in Trinidad) to remove slivers of bark that are then steeped in hot water and consumed. Be careful, the stories I’m told may not be hyperbole!  Funny that I’ve never seen bois bande that hasn’t been chopped.

The plant at the bottom is parapim (Q’eqchi’ [K’ekchi’] Maya name), and is traditionally used to make a tea.