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Muira puama, also called "potency wood," is a
small tree that grows to 5 m high and is native to the Brazilian Amazon and
other parts of the Amazon rainforest. The small, white flowers have a pungent
fragrance similar to jasmine's. The Ptychopetalum genus is a small one -
only two species of small trees grow in tropical South America and five in
tropical Africa. The two South American varieties, P. olacoides (found in
Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname) and P. uncinatum (found only
in Brazil), are used interchangeably in South American herbal medicine systems.
The olacoides variety is usually preferred, as it has a higher content of lupeol
(one of the plant's active phytochemicals). A completely different species of
Brazilian tree, Liriosma ovata, also goes by the common name of muira
puama (and is often sold in commerce as such); however, it is a completely
different tree with a different phytochemical makeup. More information about Muira Puama Powder
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