Strychnos oiapocensis Fróes

  • 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 oiapocensis Fróes

  • Description

    Species Description - Fruits globose, small, ±3.5 cm in diam; shell very thin, less than 0.75 mm thick, orange-red, verrucular; testa crustaceous; seeds 1-3, more or less discoid, about 16 mm long and 13 mm broad; fruit-pedicels about 2 mm in diam (Maguire et al. 47116 and others). Fruits resemble those of S. sandwithiana.

  • Discussion

    Irwin et al. 47391 is the first collection of mature fruits of this species. Only one mature fruit is available and it was smashed and dried on the sheet. Fruits (not fully mature) are also available on Maguire et al. 47116. The two sterile collections (two sheets of each) from Surinam are the first record of this species from this country. They are undeniable proof that at times a sterile specimen of Strychnos is of greater interest than some fertile ones from well collected localities. The collections cited above increase our knowledge of this species, which is an erect shrub becoming scandent above (all known collections are of plants 2-5 m high), confined to the understory of the high forest on terra firme (found also in secondary forests). It is the second known American species of Strychnos which is devoid of tendrils and spines, the other one being S. pseudo-quina (tendrils in the spineless S. hirsuta usually are absent or rudimentary). In the Territory of Amapa where it is common, it is in flower and in mature fruit in August to October. This species can easily be identified even on sterile specimens. Its leaves resemble somewhat those of S. acuta of southern Brazil but of no other species found in the Amazon basin.

  • Distribution

    Surinam: Wilhelmina Gebergte (alt 275-300 m), Irwin et al. 54542, 54673. Brazil: Territory of Amapa: Maguire et al. 47116, Irwin et al. 47349. 47391, 47392 (IAN), 48890 (MG), (basin of Rio Oiapoque); Pires et al. 50504 (basin of Rio Araguari).

    Suriname South America|