Tabernanthe iboga is a shrub to small tree attaining up to two meters in height. It is widely cultivated in Gabon by the Bwiti and Mbiri people for its root bark.
Iboga is the sacred essence of the religion of the Bwiti tribe of Gabon and Cameroon. Most members of the tribe ingest it just once in their lives, during an initiation ceremony in which massive amounts of the powdered bark are consumed. Through this ritual, they become a baanzi, one who has seen the other world.