Monographs Details:
Authority:
Krukoff, Boris A. & Barneby, Rupert C. 1969. Supplementary notes on the American species of Strychnos. VIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 20: 1-93, IX. 94-99.
Krukoff, Boris A. & Barneby, Rupert C. 1969. Supplementary notes on the American species of Strychnos. VIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 20: 1-93, IX. 94-99.
Family:
Loganiaceae
Loganiaceae
Description:
Species Description - Mature fruits globose, large, 4-4.5 cm in diam; shell very thick, ±6 mm thick, orange-yellow, shining, smooth; testa crustaceous; seeds many, more or less discoid, about 21 mm long and 13 mm broad (Forest Dept. 3413). Fruits resemble those of S. froesii.
Species Description - Mature fruits globose, large, 4-4.5 cm in diam; shell very thick, ±6 mm thick, orange-yellow, shining, smooth; testa crustaceous; seeds many, more or less discoid, about 21 mm long and 13 mm broad (Forest Dept. 3413). Fruits resemble those of S. froesii.
Discussion:
Now that fully mature flowers and fruits of a Brazilian entity, hitherto wrongly included in S. diaboli, have become available, it can be described as S. sandwithiana (p. 36). Although considerable time was spent in studying the S. diaboli-javariensis-sandwithiana-complex, one of the problems still remains unsolved. We refer to 6 sterile specimens from British Guiana which are cited below and which probably represent an undescribed species related to the complex. In the treatment of these 6 specimens we are in full accord with the late N. Y. Sandwith and T. A. W. Davis who at our suggestion studied this complex as far as British Guiana is concerned. As is evident from the labels on botanical specimens, several collectors also suspected that there is another species in British Guiana in the S. diaboli-complex. Jonah Boyan, the remarkable Arawak Indian who served with the Forest Department and accompanied N. Y. Sandwith and many others on botanical expeditions in British Guiana, was of the same opinion. He had an unrivalled knowledge of the forest trees of the coastal rain forest. Fanshawe (34:65)4 refers to him and tells that he was able to recognize 9 of the 14 species of Strychnos known to occur in British Guiana. Strychnos diaboli, as it is presently understood, is known to date from 7 collections (of which 4 are in flower and 1 in fruit), all from British Guiana. These are cited below: British Guiana: Essequibo: Sandwith 109 (type coll.; fl.); Tutin 458 (U, US) (fl.); basin of the Mazaruni River, Forest Dept. 2295 (K) (fl.), 2297 (K) (fl.); Demerara: Forest Dept. 2468 (F) ,2473, 3413 (fr.). Local names: Black devil-doer. The 6 sterile specimens which are doubtless conspecific but likely of a new species are as follows: British Guiana: Alston 467 (P); Essequibo: Sandwith 1203; Tutin 179 (U, US); basin of the Mazaruni River, Forest Dept. 2296, 7959 (Karou creek, Forest Reserve, left bank of the Mazaruni River); Demerara: Basin of the Demerara River, Forest Dept. 2482. Local names: Red-barked devil-doer, Red-skinned devil-doer. According to King (75)4 the alkaloid content of Forest Dept. 2482 was found to be curare activity "active.” According to West, the pharmacology of Forest Dept. 2428 (nonquaternary alkaloid) was found to be indistinguishable from that of S. diaboli (7a:39). Forest Dept. 7959 is a voucher for samples of stem and root bark which are under study by Dr. H. Schmid at Zurich. Fanshawe (34:67)4 gives the following information on the local names, on the field characters of this bush-rope (represented by Forest Dept. 2482), on its distribution in British Guiana and on its alkaloids, probably on the authority of Dr. King: “Local names: Devildoer; kwabanaro (Ar.); kumarawa (Ak., An., P., M.). “A canopy climber, to 10 inches in diameter. ‘‘It occurs rarely in rain-forest on lateritic hill-slopes in the North Central District (Demerara River) . . .” “It contains at least two alkaloids, one of which has a strong curare-like action, i.e., causing paralysis of the peripheral nerves.” Fruits and flowers of the puzzling entity are needed but our efforts since 1963 to have these collected in British Guiana have been unsuccessful.
Now that fully mature flowers and fruits of a Brazilian entity, hitherto wrongly included in S. diaboli, have become available, it can be described as S. sandwithiana (p. 36). Although considerable time was spent in studying the S. diaboli-javariensis-sandwithiana-complex, one of the problems still remains unsolved. We refer to 6 sterile specimens from British Guiana which are cited below and which probably represent an undescribed species related to the complex. In the treatment of these 6 specimens we are in full accord with the late N. Y. Sandwith and T. A. W. Davis who at our suggestion studied this complex as far as British Guiana is concerned. As is evident from the labels on botanical specimens, several collectors also suspected that there is another species in British Guiana in the S. diaboli-complex. Jonah Boyan, the remarkable Arawak Indian who served with the Forest Department and accompanied N. Y. Sandwith and many others on botanical expeditions in British Guiana, was of the same opinion. He had an unrivalled knowledge of the forest trees of the coastal rain forest. Fanshawe (34:65)4 refers to him and tells that he was able to recognize 9 of the 14 species of Strychnos known to occur in British Guiana. Strychnos diaboli, as it is presently understood, is known to date from 7 collections (of which 4 are in flower and 1 in fruit), all from British Guiana. These are cited below: British Guiana: Essequibo: Sandwith 109 (type coll.; fl.); Tutin 458 (U, US) (fl.); basin of the Mazaruni River, Forest Dept. 2295 (K) (fl.), 2297 (K) (fl.); Demerara: Forest Dept. 2468 (F) ,2473, 3413 (fr.). Local names: Black devil-doer. The 6 sterile specimens which are doubtless conspecific but likely of a new species are as follows: British Guiana: Alston 467 (P); Essequibo: Sandwith 1203; Tutin 179 (U, US); basin of the Mazaruni River, Forest Dept. 2296, 7959 (Karou creek, Forest Reserve, left bank of the Mazaruni River); Demerara: Basin of the Demerara River, Forest Dept. 2482. Local names: Red-barked devil-doer, Red-skinned devil-doer. According to King (75)4 the alkaloid content of Forest Dept. 2482 was found to be curare activity "active.” According to West, the pharmacology of Forest Dept. 2428 (nonquaternary alkaloid) was found to be indistinguishable from that of S. diaboli (7a:39). Forest Dept. 7959 is a voucher for samples of stem and root bark which are under study by Dr. H. Schmid at Zurich. Fanshawe (34:67)4 gives the following information on the local names, on the field characters of this bush-rope (represented by Forest Dept. 2482), on its distribution in British Guiana and on its alkaloids, probably on the authority of Dr. King: “Local names: Devildoer; kwabanaro (Ar.); kumarawa (Ak., An., P., M.). “A canopy climber, to 10 inches in diameter. ‘‘It occurs rarely in rain-forest on lateritic hill-slopes in the North Central District (Demerara River) . . .” “It contains at least two alkaloids, one of which has a strong curare-like action, i.e., causing paralysis of the peripheral nerves.” Fruits and flowers of the puzzling entity are needed but our efforts since 1963 to have these collected in British Guiana have been unsuccessful.