Brosimum is a genus of plants in the familyMoraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas.
The breadnut (B. alicastrum) was used by the Maya civilization for its edible nut. The dense vividly colored scarlet wood of B. rubescens is used for decorative woodworking.[3]B. guianense, or snakewood, has a mottled snake-skin pattern, and is among the densest woods, with a very high stiffness; it was the wood of choice for making of bows for musical instruments of the violin family until the late 18th century, when it was replaced by the more easily worked brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinata). Plants of this genus are otherwise used for timber, building materials, and in a cultural context.
Bufotenin has been identified as a component in the latex of the takini (Brosimum acutifolium) tree, which is used as a psychedelic by South American shamans.[4]
↑Moretti C, Gaillard Y, Grenand P, Bévalot F, Prévosto JM (June 2006). "Identification of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (bufotenine) in takini (Brosimum acutifolium Huber subsp. acutifolium C.C. Berg, Moraceae), a shamanic potion used in the Guiana Plateau". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 106 (2): 198–202. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2005.12.022. PMID16455218.
12"GRIN Species Records of Brosimum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 20 January 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
