# Virola Shoots & Flowers
Virola (Virola spp.) is a native plant of the Amazon region of South America. The virola group, related to the nutmeg family, contains more than 60 different plant species. A number of virola plants are known for their hallucinogenic qualities, writes Paul M. Gahlinger in "Illegal Drugs." Virola plants have distinct shoots and flowers.
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Flowers
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Virola flowers are golden to brown in color and bloom singly or in clusters. The flowers have a pungent odor.
Shoots
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The plants in the virola group have vertical shoots and branches. The foliage grows on the sides of horizontal twigs. New leaves have velvety undersides.
Uses
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The red resin obtained from the inner bark of a number of species of virola trees is used for making a hallucinogenic snuff referred to as epena. The snuff is used extensively by the males in a number of western Amazon native tribes and is thought to allow the user to communicate with the spirit world, writes Christina Pratt in "An Encyclopedia of Shamanism, Volume 1."
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