Bélgica Dagua, "Llaina-A medicinal plant given to women after childbirth."

“This plant is not easy to pull out. It’s very strong, even though it doesn’t have many roots. It has only one long root buried in the ground, nothing more. If you want to build strength, you must pull it. This plant still needs to grow. Young people who are growing, like your son, should try pulling it. This plant is buried very deep; it won’t come out easily. It seems to have many roots, which makes it hard to remove. This plant is pulled out, peeled, and taken to be placed in guayusa water. Then, its stems are cut into pieces and added there. It is given to a woman who has just given birth so she won’t get sick after childbirth and can walk through the forest without anything happening to her. So that the cold doesn’t affect her, she’s given this plant Llaina to drink. Growing youths are given it every month to gain strength. That’s what this plant is good for. For young people? Yes, and also for older ones whose bodies and knees ache. It’s taken cooked in guayusa water. It has a very bitter taste; the root of this plant is quite sour. Women are given the raw root to drink, after scraping it. With a bit of boiled water, they’re given a sip of it. Truly, this plant is very good. This is the Llaina plant from the forest; we prefer it because it’s useful for relieving pain.”