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Why is this plant not eaten by Andean men?

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Alpaca wool coat, Reversible ruana cloak, Earrings, 'Regal Peacocks'—>Click here.

Chiquitos Alpaca Cardigan, Handcrafted Bolivian Leather Bag—>Click here.

Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavon) [tro pe o' lum tu ber' o sum] is a little known relative of the garden nasturtium. Native to the high Andes, the plants grow well on rocky, windswept terrain. The yellowish tubers have been a source of food for at least 6,000 years.

'Cuzco Setting' (2005) Seated in the patio of a Cuzco home, a man smokes thoughtfully and listens to a friend. A young woman in traditional regional dress cuddles her baby in this warm scene of family and community. Apolonio Zeballos works with chiaroscuro and a primal palette as he explores the Andean psyche. Illuminated in golden sunlight, the group basks in the pleasure of each other's companionship.

Titled "Solar Cuzqueño" in Spanish. You save 49% Click here for sale price and to view more items form around the world.

As a food crop, mashua spread little beyond the Andes. An FAO report states the flavor of the tuber is unpleasant the first time it is eaten. The strong radish flavor is due to isothiocyanates, those chemicals generally associated with the mustard family. Mashua cultivation probably did not spread from the Andes since the plants fail to grow tubers in most locations. As a crop, they require seven months to mature and only produce tubers when day length is between 11 and 13 hours.

Andean ethnomedicine uses the tubers to treat kidney and bladder ailments, skin infections, and kill lice. The isothiocyanates are shown to have both antibiotic and diuretic action. But mashua is also useful in the garden; intercropped with other vegetables, it repels insect pests and nematodes.

Mashua has a reputation as a poverty food. It is eaten by people living on marginal farmland and usually only by women and children. Mashua is believed an anti-aphrodisiac, even the Inca required all soldiers to consume the tubers. Andean men believe the plant causes impotence. A study showed that male rats fed a mashua diet had greatly reduced testosterone levels.

The Codonopsis Website has a great photograph of mashua in bloom. To view the photograph, click on the link:

http://www.codonopsis.co.uk/trop_tuberosum.htm

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100% alpaca wool coat, 'Wintergreen'

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Patricia Anaya presents a beautiful coat, combining the elegance of black with green for winter. The coat itself cascades gracefully from the shoulders for a very feminine look.

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Customer Reviews of Patricia Anaya
!Hola, Patricia! Me gusta mucho la ruana reversible que se llama 'Andean Warmth.' Los colores e estilo son perfectos. Estoy muy contenta con la ruana fasionable. Tambien, los colores y diseno me acuerdan de las partes historicas y magnificas como Cuzco, Sacsayhuaman y Machu Picchu. Gracias por su creatividad artistica.
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I am very pleased with my wrap and quality. I was especially pleased that the color on line was true to what I received. It matches my skirt perfectly! Thank you, for making a beautiful wrap that will dress up my skirt.
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100% alpaca wool reversible ruana cloak, 'Red Traditions'

NOVICA®

"This ruana cloak in shades of red is inspired by the textile dyes used in the Andes," says Patricia Anaya proudly. She knits an ample cloak of genuine alpaca wool, which is distinctly warm, soft and lightweight.

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Patricia Anaya "My vision is for all of us to grow together through this small family enterprise, offering our art and sharing our knowledge."

"I was born in Cuzco in 1960, and I grew up in a very interesting home environment because my mother, who was a literature teacher, loved Peruvian art. She was always helping artists in the San Blas neighborhood, especially those specializing in textiles, since our family owned a weaving workshop. On the other hand, my father, who was a chemical engineer, was always teaching me the scientific approach to the origins of life, and so on.

"In 1993 I began to run our family workshop. Our specialties are alpaca wool weaves with a distinct Peruvian accent, elegantly influenced by today's fashion sense.

"I am interested in sharing my good fortune with others, especially with people who are physically challenged, and unwed teenage mothers. I teach them in the areas of textiles and general education. My vision is for all of us to grow together through this small family enterprise, offering our art and sharing our knowledge."

Earrings, 'Regal Peacocks'

NOVICA®

Eternally regal, dashing peacocks dress in stately elegance.

Peruvian designer Giovanna Larnia details their feathers with exquisite filigree work executed in fine silver. Inspired by Piura's famed peacocks, these earrings are a testimony to Larnia's artistic sensibility. .950 rating silver. You save 46% Click here for sale price.

Customer Reviews of Giovanna Larnia
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- C. K., Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

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Chiquitos Alpaca Cardigan

National Geographic®

Eighteenth-century churches dot the region of Chiquitos in Bolivia's eastern rain savanna, and motifs found on furniture and paintings at San Jose de Chiquitos were the inspiration for this superfine alpaca sweater. The blend of 15 colors is reminiscent of local stained glass and wrought ironwork.

100% alpaca. Dry clean.

Handmade in Bolivia.

Women's sizes S (4–6), M (8–10), L (12–14), XL (16–18). Click here for price and to view more exciting products from around the world.

Handcrafted Bolivian Leather Bag

National Geographic®

Leather craftsmen from rural Bolivian villages travel to the capital of La Paz to practice their craft and sell their wares in local markets. Their intricate tooling techniques reflect indigenous patterns as well as colonial Spanish arts and give dimension to natural leather goods.

The undulating patterns they have tooled on this naturally dyed bag mimic the peaks and valleys of the Andes.

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Handcrafted in Bolivia. Handles are 10''L. 13 1/2''W x 9''H. Click here for price and to view more exciting products from around the world.

Wollemi Pine

National Geographic®

This survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.

Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area. Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record.

You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening. Can also be used as a landscape tree in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7, which includes New England, the Midatlantic states, and much of the Midwest.

Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Tree will be approximately 8"H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research. Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.

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