Barneby, Rupert C. & Krukoff, Boris A. 1971. Supplementary notes on American Menispermaceae. VIII. A generic survey of the American Tricilisisae and Anomospermeae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 22: 1-89.
Menispermaceae
Latin Diagnosis - C. tecunarum ut videtur affinis, foHorum lamina parva angustius ovata 3- nee 5-7-plinervia cito distinguenda. Alte scandens, trunco ad 7-8 mm diam longitrorsus sulcato lenticellisque elevatis crebre verruculoso, caulibus annotinis flexuosis gracihbus laevibus petiolisque minutim furfuraceo-strigulosis, foliorum laminis submembranaceis superne glabris olivaceis opacis, inferne dense minutim velutino-tomentillis pallidis; foliorum petiolus gracihs apice vix inflatus 3.5-7.5 cm longus, lamina e basi rotundato ovato-acuminata 9-13 cm longa (3-)4-5 cm lata; venatio primaria (nervis subtillimis basali-marginahbus amissis) 3-plinervia, lateralibus ultra mediam laminam incurvo-adscendentibus cum costa superne parum inferne alte prominulis, costa supra mediam nervum secundarium majorem adscendentem ac per totam longitudinem secundarios minores transversales emittenti, reticulo utriusque faciei elevato intricatissimo, areolis majoribus superne ad 0.2 mm, inferne subalveolatis ad ± 0.1 mm diam; inflorescentiae [male] ignota, [female] ex incrassatis trunci nodulis singula vel binae emissae ± 3-7-florae sessiles, axi furfuraceotomentello abrupte flexuoso 1-2 cm longo, pedicellis fructiferis divaricatis 7-9 mm longis 1.3-1.5 mm diam; drupae abortu (apud typum) solitariae, carpophoro valido abbreviato dense tomentello ± 3 mm longo 2.5 mm diam elevatae, oblongo-obovoideae subcompressae 1.7-1.9 cm longae 9.5-11 mm diam; exocarpium extus dense rufohispidulo- tomentellum fibrosum siccum ± 1 mm crassum endocarpium dorso longitrorusus altiuscule insculptum arete induens; endocarpium tenuiter chartaceum vix 0.05 mm crassum.
Type locality: Rain-forest of Villa Agraria, 95 m alt, Mlla Arteaga, Las Caucheras, basin of Rio Leon (Bacuba).
Until the staminate flower can be compared with that of the Amazonian species of Curarea, the close affinities of this obviously distinct and geographically disjunct entity cannot be clarified. The plant resembles C. tecunarum in the relatively coarse, tomentellous indument of the leaf-blades, which are, however, smaller, of narrower outline, and only triplinerved. Leaves of C. candicans, remotely allopatric in the Guianas and lower Brazilian Amazonia, can be as small and are sometimes similarly veined, but have the microscopic, furfuraceous pubescence found otherwise in C. toxicofera and in the genus Chondrodendron. The range of Chondrodendron tomentosum extends north through sub-Andean Amazonia and across the northern Andes to Panama, overlapping that of Curarea cuatrecasasii. Apart from difference in pubescence the leaf-blades are different in venation, the costa of the Chondrodendron giving rise to the first of two or more secondaries below middle of the blade, that of the Curarea only one from beyond the middle. The generic position of C. cuatrecasasii is expressed by the characteristic three-rayed carpophores.
We dedicate this most interesting and unexpected novelty to Dr. Jose Cuatrecasas, whose contribution to knowledge of the Colombian flora needs no emphasis.