In the Andes, one of the instruments of the "curandero" is the "chonta", a lance carved from the chonta palm, "Bactris gasipaes", thought to be imbued with magical powers. The palm grows only in the Amazon basin and is the object of a brisk commerce. The Jivaro people of the Amazon Rainforest use the hardwood of the chonta to carve their spears. The shaman is also known as "chonteador", and his most important wand is the "chonta defensa"; if he dies without disciples, the "chonta" is thrown, wrapped in rubands and weighted with stones, to the bottom of a lake with the belief that its power will reemerge when a new shaman will take office. The shamans also use wands of "huatulco" wood, "Loxopterygium huasango".