ABSTRACT:

This paper examines the results of interviews done in the region of Iquitos, Peru concerning the use of dracontium by people living in both urban and remote communities. Uses relating to folklore, health, plant cultivation, and general knowledge of the plant are examined among members of differing tribal groups and different levels of modernization between their communities. Emphasis is placed upon the level of cultural similarity between those interviewed and the urban city of Iquitos, and their particular knowledge and use of Dracontium species.