Ocotea venenosa

Ocotea venenosa, or the gunguve'cco is a tree of the Lauraceae family, native to Ecuador and Colombia.

Uses
Its fruit is used in the making of curare. Curare is a poison used in hunting. In the bark and seeds of the tree are poisonous alkalides, related to the poison found in Chondrodendron tomentosum.

Parts of the poison are used by doctors and pharmacists to relax muscles, and neurological surgeries.

Naming
The species name, venenosa is Latin for poisonous, hence the presence of curare.