Strychnos brachiata Ruiz & Pav.

  • Authority

    Krukoff, Boris A. 1965. Supplementary notes on the American species of Strychnos VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12: 1-94.

  • Family

    Loganiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Strychnos brachiata Ruiz & Pav.

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Brazil: Para (boca do Rio Juruena, front. Amazonas, Para, and Matto Grosso, terra-firme) ? Pires 3698 (NY, US).Distribution: This species is known to date only from ten collections, but it is amply evident that it has a very extensive range and probably is one of the commonest species of Strychnos in sub-Andean Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. Doubtless occurs also in Ecuador. How far it extends in the lowlands in the basin of the Amazon (also of the Orinoco) to the east is not yet known.Specimens from Bolivia (basins of Rio Bopi and Mapiri) are from the elevations of 490 to 1,000 meters.

  • Discussion

    Back in 1947 we examined a puzzling sterile specimen (Froes 21765) from the middle Rio Jurua, and we stated (6: 9) that it resembles S. brachiata, but we cannot name it with any certainty. I now have examined another sterile specimen (Pires 3698) which matches the Froes’ specimen well. The recollection of this plant in flower and its comparison with S. brachiata would be of considerable interest. On the basis of our description of fruits, I am placing this species in Ducke’s key made on the basis of fruit characters, together with eight other species of Longiflorae. For details see under S. Blackii. Roots (probably bark of roots) are used on the Rio San Miguel (or Sucumbios), Putumayo, Colombia by Kofán Indians in the preparation of curare (Schultes 3602) (6: 10).

  • Distribution

    Distribution: This species is known to date only from ten collections, but it is amply evident that it has a very extensive range and probably is one of the commonest species of Strychnos in sub-Andean Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. Doubtless occurs also in Ecuador. How far it extends in the lowlands in the basin of the Amazon (also of the Orinoco) to the east is not yet known.Specimens from Bolivia (basins of Rio Bopi and Mapiri) are from the elevations of 490 to 1,000 meters.

    Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Ecuador South America|