Strychnos darienensis Seem.

  • 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 darienensis Seem.

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Mature fruits more or less globose or ovoid, small, seldom more than 4 cm in diam; shell thin, about 0.75 mm thick, yellowish, shining, smooth; testa crustaceous; seeds few, more or less discoid, about 20 mm long, 15 mm broad and 4 mm thick; fruit-pedicels about 5 mm in diam (Cuatrecasas 17673 and others). Fruits resemble those of S. pseudo-quina.

    Distribution and Ecology - Panama: Seemann sn (Island of Taboga) (BM, G), sn (Darien) (BM). Brazil: Para: basin of Rio Mamia (Alenquer), Froes & Filho 39437 (SP), Froes 2944I (IAN), 29462 (IAN); basin of Rio Trombetas (Rio Cuminá-Mirim), Black et al. 57-19484 (IAN), Paulo Cavalcante 99 (MG); basin of Rio Tocantins (Rio Vermelho), Froes 26949 (IAN); Amazonas: Froes 34807 (S. Antonio do Iça) (IAN), sn (Dec 16, 1948) (Igarape Belem) (SP); basin of the upper Juma, munic. Eirunepe, Froes 21799 (IAN); basin of Rio Tonantins, Ducke sn (10/4-1944) (R); Chagas sn (5337, INPA); M. Silva 902 (MG); basin of Rio Amazonas, Tefe, Lima 48-75 (URM); Mato Grosso: basin of Rio Araguaia (Serra do Roncador, varzea forest beside Rio Sete Septembre), Prance, Silva & Pires 59249. Colombia: Amazonas, near Leticia, Schultes et al. 24022 (ECON). Ecuador: Napo: Dureno on Rio Aguarico, Pinkley 516 (ECON). This is the first record of the species from Amazonas, Colombia and from Ecuador (Napo), and from the State of Mato Grosso and from the basin of Rio Trombetas, Pará, Brazil. The collector reports that this species is used in curare of Kofán Indians who live on the tributaries bordering Ecuador and Colombia on the eastern side of the Andes at an altitude of 800-1000 ft.

  • Discussion

    Strychnos darienensis is a bush-rope of modest dimensions which abounds on varzea, igapo or restinga of creeks and small rivers with “white” water (rich in sediments) as far as the Brazilian Amazonia is concerned. The question as to where the type of S. darienensis (also of S. panamensis) described by Seemann is deposited apparently has now been resolved. Below is quoted a letter of N. Y. Sandwith to us of August 15, 1965: “The study set is apparently now in the British Museum Herbarium (see the Jour, of Botany for 1889, p. 102-105). Our Kew sheet is only the Herb. Benth. sheet and does not have Seemann’s handwriting on it. There seems to be no Herb. Hook, sheet here. Peter Raven told me that, on the evidence, he concluded that Seemann’s types are the specimens in Herb. Mus. Brit.” There is a typographical error in Supplement I (2:23)4. uFroes 12072” (under S. darienensis) should read Froes 12702. In the monograph Froes 12072 is correctly cited under S. amazonica. Strychnos xinguensis is known only from the type collection, a single specimen deposited with Museu Goeldi. (A sterile specimen was recently tentatively placed with this species.) In vegetative characters this species resembles S. darienensis and its leaves are also barbate in the axils of principal nerves. Once S. xinguensis is better known it will be necessary to reexamine sterile specimens of S. darienensis to check as to whether or not any of these are of S. xinguensis.