Re: What is the Plant 'Huito'?

I remember seeing a shrunken head in the Smithsonian, and they mentioned a 
plant used in the process of making it but did not give a scientific name. I 
thought that odd for a science museum. (You may want to contact the Smithsonian 
and ask them about it.) With only a common plant name it is often difficult to 
track down a particular plant species because the same common name may be used 
for several species or the common name may be of local use and not in the 
botanical literature. A web search for huito revealed that it is one of many 
common names applied to Genipa americana, which is a large tree native 
throughout tropical America from Mexico to Argentina. Genipa americana has many 
uses. It is valued for lumber and medicinal uses. The fruit is used to make 
refreshing drinks and a dye that starts out yellow and fades to blue.

According to the first website, "Modern anthropologists do not know what the 
huito plant is, as the Jivaros keep it a secret." The Jivaros are a tribe in 
Ecuador, also known as the Shaur, famous for shrinking heads. If their shrunken 
head procedures are secret, that could explain why there is so little info 
about the plant(s) used for shrinking heads. The last website says chinchipi 
juice was used for head shrinking. I could not locate a scientific plant name 
to associate with chinchipi. Given the legendary nature of shrunken heads, 
chinchipi juice may be more mythical than real. 


References


Story of the Shrunken Head


Is that a 'real' shrunken head you're wearing?


Huito (Genipa americana) 


Genipa americana


Genipa americana Ethnobotany


HEAD-HUNTING IN THE '90s


How to Shrink a Head