| Ormosia coccinea | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Huayruro seeds | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Ormosia |
| Species: | O. coccinea |
| Binomial name | |
| Ormosia coccinea (Aubl.) Jacks. | |
| Synonyms | |
Robinia coccineaAubl. | |
Ormosia coccinea is a plant that grows throughout the South Eastern North American countries, and all throughout South America. It produces beautiful red seeds with one black spot covering one-third of its surface. These seeds are used for jewelry and other decorative purposes.
The seeds are known as wayruru (Aymara, [2] also spelled huayruro, huayruru, wayruro) in Peru, where villagers believe them to be powerful good luck charms[ citation needed ], and nene or chumico in Costa Rica. A French name is panacoco, but this more often applies to Swartzia tomentosa .
Kharisiri, a fat-sucking Andean folkloric creature, are said to carry wayruru beans in their pockets when they attack victims. [3]