In Peru it is called Amor Seco or Pega Pega or any of a half dozen other names; in Belize it is know as “Strong Back” herb. It is an herbacious, perennial plant which grows up the trunks of trees. The leaves and stems are the medicinal parts. The therapeutic phytochemicals in Desmodium a. include alkaloids of the family of indolic alkaloids. The plant contains 4 mg/kg of alkaloids expressed in tryptamine. Fatty acids are present in a concentration of up to 3%, which is relatively rich in unsaturated acids.*