Hey everyone!

Have any of you seen Chaliponga seeds? My amigo in Peru says he collected some, and that they look almost identical to B. caapi seeds. Is this true? Does anyone have any photos or information about germinating these seeds? I can't find any information online, so I'm hoping you guys can help me out. Thanks!

Peace,

Scott

Theres a thread at thenook and one at SAB about them. The one at SAB has more/better info. I think a lot about the plant looks like caapi, and i believe this includes the seeds. Ill try and dig the thread up later, but it shouldnt be to hard to find as its pretty recent.

Theres also a vendor from Argentina (i think) that has seeds. But i think the thread at thenook is about that vendor. And people have had little luck with the more recent batches of seeds. Maybe they are to old now. If you get fresh seeds, i would grab them. But dont over stock, because they may not have to long a viability. And defiantly let us know if when you have the available.

look on ebay

http://search.stores.ebay.com/Soul-Sham ... 96QQsofpZ0

the chaliponga plant has NEVER been known to go to seed, which is really strange, but we've never seen it happen... so i'm very skeptical about anyone saying they have the seeds...

It seeds somehow.

I'm sure it does in its native habitat.

Yes, you'd think so... but this plant has never been seen to go to seed...

In habitat? Where has it never been seen to set seed?

Here in the jungles of Peru and Ecuador, neither I nor anyone that I have met has ever seen it flower.

It makes you wonder. Some plants only flower every so many years. There is the century plant which may go 30 years or more before flowering. Many others do not flower every year but only every so often, perhaps depending on environmental clues. Bamboo goes many years and flowers all at once and then dies.

Well why aren't you shipping us cuttings then? If you live there and see these plants all the time, than PLEASE help us all out and mail somebody a few 100 cuttings!

Are your sure it's real Diplopterys? Have you ever brewed with it?

You must be kidding...
This is Alan Shoemaker, Mariella´s husband. I am the one that first wrote that it was called ¨chaliponga¨NOT ¨chagropunga¨.
here in Loretto, the region where Iquitos is located, it is knows as ¨huambisa¨, named after the tribe, which is located near the border to Ecuador.
No one has seen it in seed, yet.

No I'm not kidding.

I personally know people who have obtained their Diplopterys plants from the germination of seeds.

I'm not saying your plants don't seed, but they must somewhere...

If this plant is all around you and it is truly Diplopterys, you really should consider mailing some people in the community cuttings, we desperatly seek this plant!

We know so very little about this amazing botanical! I wish I could get my hands on a couple plants! Foliage is easy to come by, but dead plants are no use to me!

hello marielle & alan!!!
hi@all!!!

Coincedense possibly, that i have found you all here. I have the feeling i was brought.

Very interesting read alan... u are right on everything u said from which i have heard/know.
I must say u live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I do not no if i will be able to see it in this lifetime, but I would be sure glad, just to know some people from that part of the earth.


It is strange that the plant does not make any seeds. I think Stoney might be on to sumthin too... maybe?
Certainly each and every plant have their distinctive way of reproducing.

"what came first, the chicken or the egg???"lol

gonna keep my eye on this thread... hope to see more thoughts...

Most likely they are growing B. caapi, not DCabrerana. The leaves of B. Caapi are very similar to DCabrerana as well... so much so that the chali was initially misidentified as Banisteriopsis Rusbyana.
it's far superior to pviridis, especially because it's a vine and so grows really quickly. With the PV you have to wait 4 years to harvest and then you'll need every leaf from the bush to cook a bash. DC cuttings are very sensitive but we've been quite sucessful in putting in a plantation with leaves 10 inches long.
I don't know about shipping live plants but will check into it. My friend shipped to Moscow, took 12 days but when the cutting got there they were growing tiny white roots.

Please, please, please help us bring this amazing plant into the community you wonderful, wonderful people!

Alan, Mariella thank you both very much!