La Xtabay is a Yucatec Maya folklore tale about a demonic femme fatale who preys upon men in the Yucatán Peninsula. She is said to dwell in the forest to lure men to their deaths with her incomparable beauty. She is described as having beautiful, shining black hair that falls down to her ankles and wearing a white dress. One of the most accepted versions of the myth comes from a book, Diez Leyendas Mayas (1998), written by Jesus Azcorra Alejos.
Xtabentún (the fragrant morning glory species Ipomoea corymbosa)
The Tzacam cactus (Mammillaria heyderi), bearing its foul-smelling flowers
Xtabay is said to loiter at the foot of the sacred ceiba tree to lure men to their doom.
Ipomoea corymbosa is a species of morning glory, native throughout Latin America from Mexico as far south as Peru and widely naturalised elsewhere. Its common names include Christmasvine, Christmaspops, and snakeplant.
Ipomoea corymbosa
Seeds of Ipomoea corymbosa (Synonyms: Rivea corymbosa and Turbina corymbosa)