About Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan
Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan is a perennial shrub or tree, and it is not classified as a threatened species. It is native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This species has a number of common names: angico, angico-cedro, angico-do-banhado, angico-dos-montes, angico-verdadeiro, angico-vermelho (changed to anchico in Spanish), guarucaia, and paric. Parapiptadenia rigida typically reaches a height between 18 meters and 30 meters, with a straight trunk covered in slightly furrowed bark. It has dark green foliage, and its greenish-yellow flowers measure 5 cm to 9 cm in length. It blooms in spring. Its seed pods grow to between 9 cm and 16 cm long, and it produces flat, oval, brown seeds. It naturally occurs along river corridors. Extracts from this tree have astringent, expectorant, anti-diarrheal, and hemorrhage-arresting properties. In southern Brazil, it is used for its antiseptic properties. The bark contains a high tannin content of 15.0%, and it is used in folk medicine as a bitter-tasting tonic and body cleanser. It is used in folk medicine to treat rickets, poor appetite, and muscle weakness. Parapiptadenia rigida is psychoactive.
