Manuel Córdova-Rios (November 22, 1887 – November 22, 1978) was a vegetalista (herbalist) of the upper Amazon, and the subject of several books. As a young mestizo in the Amazon forest to cut rubber trees, he was apparently captured by a native tribe, among whom he then lived for seven years. The elderly chief taught him in intensive private sessions traditional knowledge, e.g., about medicinal plants of the jungle, and about leadership.