BOTANY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
The names of Ayahuasca:
The plants are known by various denominations, having been used since immemorial times, in a vast area, by various indigenous nations separated by great distances, cultural and linguistic differences. According to Schultes, Richard Evans, and Raffauf, Robert F. — The Healing Forest: Medicinal and Toxic Plants of Northwest Amazonia (1990); Portland, OR: Dioscorides Press — at least 42 indigenous names are known for this potion used by about 72 indigenous tribes and nations of the Amazon basin, located throughout Amazonian Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, western Brazil, and in a determined region of Venezuela. The predominant names are: Yagé; Caapi; Huasca, or Ayahuasca, and Népe, or Nepi.
The list of the various indigenous denominations of Ayahuasca according to the reference indicated above:
Yagé; bejuco bravo; bejuco de oro; caapi (Tupi, Brazil); mado, mado bidada and rami-wetsem (Culina); nucnu huasca and shimbaya huasca (Quechua); kamalampi (Piro); punga huasca; rambi and shuri (Sharanahua); ayahuasca amarillo; ayawasca; nishi and oni (Shipibo); ayahuasca; ayahuasca negro; ayahuasca blanco; ayahuasca trueno, cielo ayahuasca; népe; xono; datém; kamarampi; Pindé (Cayapa); natema (Jivaro); iona; mii; nixi; pae; ka-hee' (Makuna); mi-hi (Kubeo); kuma-basere; wai-bu-ku-kihoa-ma; wenan-duri-guda-hubea-ma; yaiya-suava-kahi-ma; wai-buhua-guda-hebea-ma; myoki-buku-guda-hubea-ma (Barasana); ka-hee-riama; mene'-kají-ma; yaiya-suána-kahi-ma; kahí-vaibucuru-rijoma; kaju'uri-kahi-ma; mene'-kají-ma; kahí-somoma' (Tucano); tsiputsueni, tsipu-wetseni; tsipu-makuni; rami-wetsem (Kulina); amarrón huasca, inde huasca (Ingano); oó-fa; yajé (Kofan); bi'-ã-yahé; sia-sewi-yahe; sese-yahé; weki-yajé; yai-yajé; nea-yajé; horo-yajé; sise-yajé (Shushufindi Siona); shimbaya huasca (Ketchwa); shillinto (Peru); nepi (Colorado); wai-yajé; yajé-oco; beji-yajé; so'-om-wa-wai-yajé; kwi-ku-yajé; aso-yajé; wati-yajé; kido-yajé; weko-yajé; weki-yajé; usebo-yajé; yai-yajé; ga-tokama-yai-yajé; zi-simi-yajé; hamo-weko-yajé (Siona of the Putomayo); shuri-fisopa; shuri-oshinipa; shuri-oshpa (Sharananahua).
In contemporary Brazilian society the most used names are: Yagê, Ayahuasca, Daime, Vegetal, Hoasca and Oasca.