Photos by Bob Thomas, Chiquibul Education Centre, Las Cuevas, Cayo District, Belize, May 2012.

Chicoloro vine is very bitter and the chemicals work very fast.  A related species is the main source for the poisonous strychnine.  Dr. Rosita Arvigo, an icon in Belize herbology and founder of Ixchel Farm, uses it in her “jungle salve” (which we swear by for treating bites and itches).  She says when the vine is chopped and mixed with other vines, it is a good cure for gastritis and other issues associated with the gastrointestinal tract.

The lower photo was probably opened by a squirrel.