{"product_id":"chuchuhuasi-powder-maytenus-laevis","title":"Peruvian Chuchuhuasi Powder | Maytenus laevis","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBark Powder • Supplied from Peru • Packed in Australia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Highlights\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSelect Weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Choose 25 g or 50 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMaytenus laevis\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Celastraceae\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant Part:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bark\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForm:\u003c\/strong\u003e Powder\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePackaging:\u003c\/strong\u003e Resealable Mylar pouch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eNatural Profile\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA reddish brown to rust coloured bark powder with a distinctly woody, earthy aroma and subtle spicy notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a natural botanical material, colour, aroma and texture can vary between batches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Chuchuhuasi\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChuchuhuasi is a Quechua derived Amazonian name used across more than one regional botanical tradition. The name has been applied to several \u003cem\u003eMaytenus\u003c\/em\u003e species in trade and ethnobotanical literature, so exact botanical identity matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Sacred Plants Australia material is identified as \u003cem\u003eMaytenus laevis\u003c\/em\u003e, an accepted species in the Celastraceae family. Much of the better known Peruvian historical literature instead records \u003cem\u003eMaytenus macrocarpa\u003c\/em\u003e, which is a separate accepted species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeeping those identities distinct lets this product remain botanically precise while still telling the broader cultural history carried by the name Chuchuhuasi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDid You Know?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChuchuhuasi is commonly translated from Quechua as “trembling back”, one of the most evocative plant names in the Amazon. Older ethnobotanical sources connect that name with the bark's traditional association with aching backs and bodies. A 2025 linguistic study adds a fascinating twist: it argues that older Quechua forms may instead point to “hard, dry back”, with “back” used figuratively for the tree's bark. Either way, the name turns the tree itself into a body, with its bark understood as its back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOrigins \u0026amp; Ethnobotanical History\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten references to Chuchuhuasi in Peru reach back into nineteenth century expeditionary records, but one of the most distinctive chapters of its history appears in Iquitos in 1906, where bark macerated in \u003cem\u003eaguardiente de caña\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded in writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAguardiente de caña\u003c\/em\u003e is a clear distilled sugarcane spirit, commonly called \u003cem\u003ecañazo\u003c\/em\u003e in Peru. By then cane spirits were already part of a wider Amazonian world of river trade, settlement and urban growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlcohol was never the only tradition. Comparative ethnobotanical research in Loreto recorded Bora bark preparations based on water and decoction, while healers in Lima described preparations involving \u003cem\u003ecañazo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003episco\u003c\/em\u003e, wine and other spirits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecent ethnographic work also describes specialist makers known as \u003cem\u003echuchuhuaseros\u003c\/em\u003e. At small scale, recipes can vary between makers and between batches, with parts of the process sometimes kept private. The result is a tradition shaped not by one universal formula but by place, community and maker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSourcing \u0026amp; Product Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSacred Plants Australia receives this material from Peru as bark powder and packs the selected weight in Australia in a resealable Mylar pouch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach pouch is sold by declared net weight. The powder can settle naturally during transport and storage, so apparent volume may vary without changing the declared net weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis product is supplied for botanical collection, ethnobotanical study and material reference. It is not presented as a food, supplement or therapeutic product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eStorage \u0026amp; Care\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReseal the Mylar pouch firmly after opening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStore in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture. Keep the inside of the pouch dry during handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eShipping \u0026amp; Biosecurity\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAustralian Orders\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQueensland\u003c\/strong\u003e ✅ \u003cstrong\u003eAVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew South Wales\u003c\/strong\u003e ✅ \u003cstrong\u003eAVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAustralian Capital Territory\u003c\/strong\u003e ✅ \u003cstrong\u003eAVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVictoria\u003c\/strong\u003e ✅ \u003cstrong\u003eAVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasmania\u003c\/strong\u003e ❌ \u003cstrong\u003eNOT AVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder Sacred Plants Australia's current pathway, this raw dried plant material requires a destination permit that Sacred Plants Australia does not obtain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSouth Australia\u003c\/strong\u003e ✅ \u003cstrong\u003eAVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWestern Australia\u003c\/strong\u003e ⚠️ \u003cstrong\u003eCONDITIONS APPLY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDried plant products are subject to Western Australian quarantine requirements and may be inspected for pests or seed contamination. The product must arrive commercially clean and securely packaged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNorthern Territory\u003c\/strong\u003e ❌ \u003cstrong\u003eNOT AVAILABLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Northern Territory requires a plant import permit for dried plant material together with supporting exporter certification. Sacred Plants Australia does not service that permit pathway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInternational Orders\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInternational\u003c\/strong\u003e ⚠️ \u003cstrong\u003eCONDITIONS APPLY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInternational postage is available only where permitted. Customers are responsible for checking that this item can be imported into their destination and for meeting any applicable local import requirements before ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSacred Plants Australia does not provide phytosanitary certificates, import permits, inspections, treatments, seed analysis certificates or destination specific paperwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInformation Currency\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLast reviewed: 14 September 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiosecurity and import requirements can change. The information above reflects the requirements identified for this item on the date shown.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacred Plants Australia","offers":[{"title":"25 g","offer_id":53860358979878,"sku":"CHP-25","price":24.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50 g","offer_id":53860359012646,"sku":"CHP-50","price":44.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1035\/7656\/8102\/files\/sacred-plants-australia-peruvian-chuchuhuasi-powder-maytenus-laevis-powder-spiral-stainless-steel-macro_89c37535-5e5b-437f-b08a-2a4a7f5bd5e2.png?v=1792577741","url":"https:\/\/sacredplants.com.au\/products\/chuchuhuasi-powder-maytenus-laevis","provider":"Sacred Plants Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}