(Fwd) Herbal Preparation

[Monique D. Reed]

Dear Taxacomers,

I received this message this morning and haven't any information to
give this student.  Can anyone help?

Monique Reed
Herbarium Botanist
Biology Department
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX  77843


------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Thu, 02 Nov 95 23:01:13 -0800
From:          James McGuire <mcguire at earthlink.net>
To:            monique at bio.tamu.edu
Subject:       Herbal Preparation

Dear Ms. Reed:

By way of introduction, I am a high school student in Los Angeles,
California.  I am preparing a science class paper on a recent herbal
preparation much sought after by the Latino community in this area, and
is prepared by farmers from a tree root and flower grown in the mountain
area of Michoacan, Mexico.  I believe this herb is used to make a tea
or other type of beverage, which has claims of mystical aphrodisiac
properties.  The English translation of this herb is "Three Points" (Tres
Puntas).  It is also known locally in Mexico as "The Root of the Liver
Tree".

I have been told that there are other plants which produce herbal
extracts, such as Yohimbe, Damiana and Gurana, but I do not know if any
of these is of the same family for similar to the information that I am
seeking.

I am unable to locate any information on this topic at our local
libraries, and I am limited to the amount of time I can use a computer
for any on-line research on the InterNet.  I really don't know where else
I can turn for help in developing this topic for my school paper

I would appreciate any information you could provide me regarding this
interesting herb, including the Latin name, its availability outside of
Mexico, and whether there is any source of this herb known to exist in
the Western part of the United States.  I know that you are very busy in
your job, and wish to thank you in advance for any help you can give me
in this research.

If you could, please reply at your earliest convenience to my E-Mail
address on this message.  Thank you, again, for your assistance.


Very truly yours,
James McGuire