Ibakai: Cenchrus (Cu)
Iban: Achras (N)
Ibe: Jessenia (Cu)
Ibilan: Monnina (C)
Ibude: Castilla (Ch)
Icaco: Chrysobalanus (S)
Icaquillo: Eugenia (P)
Ice cream bean: Inga (E)
ICHTHYOTHERE SCANDENS Blake. Barbasco (C)
ICHTHYOTHERE TERMINALES Blake. Bayra (C); Jarilla blanca (C)
Ico: Guilielma (Cu)
Ictericia: Cassia (P)
Ideui: Mauritia (C)
Igaico: Lepidocaryum (C)
Igarwala: Ceiba (Cu)
Igname: Dioscorea (C)
Igo: Ficus (P)
Igua: Dipteryx (Cu); Pseudosamanea (C)
Iguanero: Avicennia (C); Citharexylum (P); Pelliciera (C); Piptadenia (C)
Iguanero de agua: Dugandia (C)
Iguanillo: Lonchocarpus (P)
Iguano: Dipterodendron (CR); Leucaena (W)
Iguaraya: Lemaireocereus (C)
Ikor: Zanthoxylum (Cu)
Iksi: Swietenia (Cu)
Ila: Iriartea (Cu); Socratea (Cu)
Ilang-ilang: Cananga (S)
Illa: Bactria (Cu)
Ilusion: Briza (C); Tricholaena (CR)
Inaja: Maximiliana (C)
Immortal: Erythrina (P)
Imperial: Axonopus (C)
Inaciabi: Neurolaena (Cu)
Inakale: Isotoma (Cu)
Inanabiske: Cassia (Cu)
Inanusu: Ocimum (Cu); Spigelia (Cu)
Inapisu: Pithecellobium (Cu)
Inaya: Maximiliana (C)
Incienso: Clibadium (C); Clusia (C); Protium (C)
India: Zizyphus (E)
Indian almond: Terminalia (E)
Indian corn: Sorghum (E)
Indian mulberry: Morinda (E)
Indigo: Indigofera (E)
INDIGOFERA SUFFRUTICOSA Mill. Indigo (E); Abgi gastuet (Cu); Abugi (Cu); Anil (C);
Jiquelite (S) . Although export has all but ceased, the plant is still used as an analgesic,
antispasmodic, antiepileptic, and ecbolic. Ailigandi Cuna use the leaves as a tea to purify the blood
and as a source of a blue stain (!).
Indio: Schizolobium (P)
Indio en cuero: Bursera (P); Terminalia (C)
Indio desnudo: Bursera (S)
Indio viejo: Vernonia patens (C)
INGA EDULIS Mart. Ice cream bean (E); Cajetaho (Ch); Guava (P); Maria (Cu) . The pulp
is commonly eaten.
INGA FAGIFOLIA Willd. Sweat pea (E); Churimo (C); Guama (P); Guava (P); Ingua (Cu);
Mari (Cu); Tuetajo (Ch) . The pulp around the seeds is eaten; it is sweet and quenches the
thirst. Colombians believe the fruits cause colic.
Ingerto: Plumeria (CR)
Ingua : Inga (Cu)
Injerta: Monnina (C)
Injerto de montana: Lucuma (P)
Inkberry: Randia (J)
Inkwa: Inga (Cu)
INSECTICIDE: A substance that kills insects. Aloe, Anacardium, Annona, Carapa, Cassia,
Chenopodium, Cleome, Clibadium, Cymbopogon, Datura, Dialyanthera, Dioclea, Hippocratea,
Indigofera, Jatropha, Lonchocarpus, Mammea, Melis, Pachyrhizus, Passiflora, Piper, Quassia,
Ricinus, Sapindus, Sarcostemma, Siparuna, Solanum, Strychnos, Tephrosia, Thevetia, Trichilia,
Vernonia.
INSECT REPELLENT: A substance that repels insects. Anacardium, Bixa, Carapa, Cedrela,
Cephaelis, Citrus, Cleome, Cocos, Cucurbita, Eugenia, Dieffenbachia, Genipa, Hura, Hyptis,
Indigofera, Lathyrus, Manihot, Melinus, Neurolaena, Pachyrhizus, Petiveria, Piper, Polygonum,
Pothomorphe, Quassia, Scleria, Spigelia, Tridax, Zebrina.
Insiba: Ocotea (P)
Ipacina: Petiveria (N)
Ipecac: Cephaelis (E)
Ipki: Bactris (Cu); Bambusa (Cu); Guadua (Cu)
IPOMOEA AQUATICA Forsk. Chinese spinach (E) . This species is grown around the
Canal Zone as a potherb.
IPOMOEA BATATAS Lam. Sweet potato (E); Batata (S); Boniato (C); Camote (D); Kualu (Cu)
. Cultivated by the Amerindians long before the coming of the Europeans, sweet potatoes
are of little importance in the interior of Panama. Sweet potatoes, at the time of conquistadores,
were present both in Darien and in Veraguas, where the Guaymi were said to offer them to Cerro
Nubu. For man, the sweet potato, raw or more usually cooked, furnishes sugar, starch, and a little
fat. Maya Indians usually bake them in ashes and eat them unseasoned. For livestockk, the tops serve
as fodder. Some natives eat the leaves.
IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE Roth. Seaside morning glory (E). The roots and stems cooked have
served as dangerous survival foods. The stems cause dizziness in man and cattle who eat them. The
leaf extract is useful in treating jellyfish sting and as an antipruiritic. The leaves are usually used,
either boiled for external application as an anodyne in colic or rheumatism, or powdered and
incorporated in an ointment said to have good local effects on bedsores. They may also be used as
an escharotic in the treatment of ulcers.
Ira: Chaetoptelea (CR); Meliosma (CR); Ocotea (CR)
Iraca: Carludovica (C); Mauritiella (C)
Ira Chiricana: Vantanea (CR)
Ira colorado: Aiouea (CR); Laplacea (CR)
Ira copalilla: Ocotea (CR)
Ira mangle: Ocotea (CR)
Ira rosa: Nectandra (CR); Virola (CR)
Ira zopilote: Ocotea (CR)
IRIARTEA sp. Stilt palm (E); Ila (Cu); Jira (S); Palma barrigona (C); Zanora (P). The outer core of
the trunk is used to make the floors of most Choco houses (!). Armed prop roots are used to grate
coconut. Colombias unstilted belly palm is used to make containers for rubber.
Iris: Brunfelsia (CR)
Ironweed: Vernonia (E)
Irwa: Calathea (Cu)
ISERTIA PITTIERI Standl. Jaboncilla (C). In the Choco, the leaves are used for soap and the waxen
perfumed flowers for funeral wreaths.
Isitutu: Bouganvillea (Cu)
Isiuala: Bombacopsis (Cu)
Iskarmas: Ardisia (Cu); Hamelia (Cu)
Ismoyo: Spondias (CR)
ISOTOMA LONGIFLORA Presl. Ciega ojo (C); Inakale (Cu) . Although the latex of
this plant is supposed to be caustic, the plant is found in nearly every Cuna dooryard garden (!). A
Bayano Cuna informant states that the latex is taken internally as a medicine. Elsewhere it is
believed to cause blindness.
Isperhuala: Manilkara (Cu)
Istatel: Avicennia (P)
Itabo: Yucca (CR)
Ivory palm: Phytelephas (E)
Iwadurbugit: Desmodium (Cu)
Ixkade: Manihot (Ch)