Strychnos pachycarpa Ducke

  • 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 pachycarpa Ducke

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Brazil: Amazonas: basin of Rio Negro (silva primaria, noninundabili; ultra Coloniam João Alfredo), Ducke s.n. (Jan. 30, 1943, in fruit), 1403 (Oct. 16, 1943, in flower) (type coll.).

  • Discussion

    Known only from two collections made from the same plant. The first collection of this plant made by Ducke on Jan. 30, 1943, was sent to us for identifications (only leaves were sent) and I wrote to Ducke that it is probably of a new species, which however we do not want to describe in the absence of flowers. This specimen (Ducke s.n., Jan. 30, 1943) with our annotation label is deposited at The New York Botanical Garden. On Oct. 16, 1943 Ducke obtained the flowering specimen from the same plant (Ducke 1403) and he described this as a new species. This species has been reviewed by us in detail (3: 70). However, as at that time we had not seen its fruits, they were described by us from Ducke’s description. A more complete description of fruits is now available (33: 85) and as per Ducke, this species is immediately distinguished from all of the members of Breviflorae by its fruit characters. In the systematic arrangement S. pachycarpa belongs with S. nigricans to which it bears a general resemblance in many respects. This species was studied by Marini-Bettolo, Bovet and their coworkers. For the alkaloid content, toxicity and curare activity of the total extracts, see (95: 1142; 1144). In another paper the same authors state: “Only tertiary bases” (109: 141). The above referred to work was done on stem bark collected by Ducke north east of Colonia Campos Sales, Manaos, Amazonas, Brazil in May 1953 (95: 1145; 108: 269).

  • Distribution

    Brazil: Amazonas: basin of Rio Negro (silva primaria, noninundabili; ultra Coloniam João Alfredo), Ducke s.n. (Jan. 30, 1943, in fruit), 1403 (Oct. 16, 1943, in flower) (type coll.).

    Brazil South America|