Strychnos erichsonii R.H.Schomb. ex Progel

  • 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.

  • Family

    Loganiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Strychnos erichsonii R.H.Schomb. ex Progel

  • Description

    Species Description - Mature fruits more or less globose (irregularly spheroid), small, the largest examined 3.5 cm in diam; shell thin, ±2 mm thick, pale yellowish, shining, smooth, testa crustaceous; seeds few, more or less discoid, about 20 mm long and 12 mm broad, fruit-pedicels about 4 mm in diam (Froes 11817 and others). Fruits and seeds resemble somewhat those of S. barnhartiana but shells are thinner and the mesocarp is not so well developed.

  • Discussion

    32. Strychnos erichsonii Richard Schomburgk, Reisen 3: 1082, hyponym 1848-Mart. Fl. Bras. 6(1): 274. 1868. Strychnos urbanii Barb. Rodr., Vellosia, ed. 2, 1: 38, pl. 4, fig. A. 1891. Strychnos bovetiana Pires, Bol. Técn. Inst. Agron. Norte 38: 40. 1960. Illustration: Bol. Teen. Inst. Agron. Norte 38: photograph 24. 1960. Local names: Konikoni-bita, doberdoea (Surinam). Erequí (Karijona, Rio Caqueta, Colombia). The first record of the species from the basin of Rio Maues and Rio Purus. This giant bush-rope reaches the tops of the highest trees in forests on the Amazon and only S. peckii occasionally approaches the great dimensions of S. erichsonii. It usually abounds in the high forest on terra firme. The type collection of S. bovetiana has only very immature flowers, which, because of their immaturity, are easily misinterpreted as having a tube shorter than the lobes. It was for this reason that the species was described as a member of sect. Breviflorae. We have found, however, a very close match for the immature flower of S. bovetiana in two specimens, Froes 27738 and Pires & Silva 4591, which have been cited in Supplement VII as S. erichsonii. We believe that the identification of Pires & Silva 4591, as well as Froes 27738, as S. erichsonii was correct, and it follows that the type of S. bovetiana, which has every vegetative character of S. erichsonii, belongs there also. That the flower of sect. Longiflorae passes through a short-tubed phase in its early ontogeny is demonstrated in a specimen of S. macrophylla (Black 47-1155A) which bears buds as short as those of S. bovetiana, although the mature corolla of the species is known to be typical of sect Longiflorae. The placing of S. bovetiana in synonymy was made possible as the type of it, deposited at Instituto Agronômico do Norte, was available for examination. Back in 1965 when we were working on Supplement VII only buds of the same collection, deposited at The New York Botanical Garden, were available to us. In Supplement VI (7)4 Froes 23134 through typographical error is cited as “Froes 24134”; and in Supplement VII (7a) Froes 17042, as ’’Froes 17402.”

  • Distribution

    Colombia: Amazonas: Rio Popeyacá, tributary of Rio Apaporis, Schultes & Cabrera 15653 (COL); Amazonas-Vaupes: Garcia-Barriga 14041 (COL) (Rio Apaporis, entre los rios Kananari y Pacoa, ±250 m), 14580 (COL) (Rio Caqueta, La Pedrera, ±240 m). Surinam: basin of the upper Coppename River, Mennega 467 (U); basin of the Suriname River, Lindeman 3666 (U), 4647 (U); Broko-pondo: van Donselaar 1261 (U), 2375 (U), 2380 (U); Zanderij I: B.W. sn (Nov 4, 1914) (U); Langs Kabo-kreek: Landjouw & Lindeman 19

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