Strychnos divaricans Ducke
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Authority
Krukoff, Boris A. 1965. Supplementary notes on the American species of Strychnos VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12: 1-94.
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Family
Loganiaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Distribution and Ecology - Brazil: Pernambuco (near Recife, Brejo de Macacos), Ducke 2309.This is the first record of the species from the State of Pernambuco.Distribution: Known only from seven collections from French Guiana and Brazil. In Brazil it has been collected in Para (Jurity Velho, near the boundary line with the State of Amazonas and in the basin of Rio Guama); Maranhão (basin of the upper Rio Pindaré), and Pernambuco (near Recife). Doubtless occurs also in the Territory of Amapa and in the States of Amazonas, Piaui, Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba.In the basin of Rio Amazonas it seems to abound in high forest on terra-firme, as well as on varzea.
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Discussion
Mature fruits and seeds of this species are now known and were described by Ducke (31: 23, 55). For information on its position in Ducke’s key, made on the basis of fruit characters, see under S. Blackii. For a better understanding of this species, we still need a series of specimens from various parts of mature and young plants, so that we could distinguish it on the basis of sterile material with more confidence. This species was studied chemically and pharmacologically by Marini-Bettolo, Bovet and their coworkers. For the alkaloid content, toxicity and curare activity of the total extracts, see (94: 856; 95: 1144). For rather extensive studies of the alkaloids of this species, see (97). In these studies, 15 alkaloids were recognized by the use of chromatographic methods and the alkaloids which were characterized are as follows: Calebassine ( = Toxiferine II = C-strychnotoxine I), Curarme ( = C-curarine I) ; Mavacurine and Fluorocurarine ( = C-curarine III) (97: 1165; 108: 268). The above referred to work was done on stem bark collected by Ducke in July 1952, near Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil (95: 1145).
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Distribution
Distribution: Known only from seven collections from French Guiana and Brazil. In Brazil it has been collected in Para (Jurity Velho, near the boundary line with the State of Amazonas and in the basin of Rio Guama); Maranhão (basin of the upper Rio Pindaré), and Pernambuco (near Recife). Doubtless occurs also in the Territory of Amapa and in the States of Amazonas, Piaui, Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba.In the basin of Rio Amazonas it seems to abound in high forest on terra-firme, as we
Suriname South America| Brazil South America|