Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates

  • Authority

    Gates, Bronwen. 1982. Banisteriopsis, Diplopterys (Malpighiaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 30: 1-238. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Malpighiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Diplopterys cabrerana (Cuatrec.) B.Gates

  • Type

    Type. Schultes & Cabrera 17297, Colombia, Vaupés, río Piraparaná, tributary of the río Apaporis, Caño Teemeña, fl (holotype, US).

  • Synonyms

    Banisteriopsis cabrerana Cuatrec., Banisteriopsis rusbyana (Nied.) Morton

  • Description

    Species Description - Liana, young branches golden-appressed-sericeous, old branches glabrate, with xylem sometimes developing very asymmetrically as two lobes, giving the stem a flattened appearance. Stipules minute, triangular, sparsely sericeous, often joined by an interpetiolar line. Leaves with the petiole (4-)8-15(-22) mm long, appressed-sericeous to glabrate, channelled adaxially, apically Eglandular, the glands convex and prominent, the lamina coriaceous, falcate, (8.5-) 10.0-21.0 (-25.9) cm long and (2.9-)4.1-9.0 cm wide, elliptic to broadly elliptic, truncate at the base, long-acuminate at the apex, the acumen up to 3 cm long, with the margin bearing minute glands, plane to slightly revolute, glabrous adaxially, abaxially sparsely appressed-sericeous, the hairs with the trabecula 0.2-0.3(-0.6) mm, with the reticulation prominulous to prominent adaxially and the 6-8(-10) pairs of lateral veins prominent abaxially. Inflorescence axillary, of 4-flowered umbels, the umbels borne singly or in short racemes or condensed panicles, appressed-sericeous; bracts and bracteoles (1.5-)2.0-3.0 mm long, lingulate, sparsely sericeous abaxially, glabrous adaxially, spreading, persistent; pedicels sessile, 5-12 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm in diameter, up to 1.0 mm in fruit, sparsely appressed-sericeous to glabrate. Sepals 1.5-2.2 mm long, appressed-sericeous abaxially, with a few appressed hairs apically adaxially, the anterior sepal 0.7-0.8 mm wide, narrowly elliptic, eglandular or rarely bearing 1 gland, the 4 lateral sepals up to 1.4 mm wide at the base and 0.7-0.8 mm wide apically, deltate, inpressed, reflexed apically, Eglandular, projecting 1.0-1.3 mm beyond the glands, the glands 1.0-1.8 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm wide. Petals yellow, sparsely sericeous in the middle of the limb externally, long-fimbriate, eglandular, the 4 lateral petals reflexed between the sepals, the antero-lateral petals with the claw 1.0-1.5 mm long, the limb 7.0-8.0 mm long and wide, concave, the postero-lateral petals with the claw 0.5-1.0 mm long, the limb 5.0-7.0 mm long, 4.0-5.5 mm wide, broadly elliptic, plane, the posterior petal with the claw erect, 2.5-3.5 mm long, up to 0.6 mm wide, apically constricted, the limb 4.5-5.5 mm long and 3.0-4.5 mm wide, obovate. Stamens with the filaments connate basally for 0.4-1.0 mm, those opposite the sepals 2.0-2.8 mm long, those opposite the petals 1.6-1.8 mm long, glabrous, those of the 3 anterior stamens erect, those opposite the antero-lateral sepals and postero-lateral petals directed towards the posterior petal, those of the 3 posterior stamens inflexed between the posterior styles; anthers with the locules 0.8-1.0 mm long, sparsely hairy to glabrate, the connectives of the stamens opposite the sepals 0.8-0.9 mm long, 0.7-1.0 mm wide, 0.4-0.6 mm deep, broadly obovate, papillose, those opposite the petals 0.5-0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide and 0.2-0.3 mm deep, oblong, smooth to papillose. Ovary densely hairy, 1.0 mm tall, the styles 1.4-1.6 mm long, the posterior styles slightly longer than the anterior style, straight and parallel or the posterior styles diverging, bearing stiff straight hairs at the base, stigmas strongly capitate. Fruit of 3 mericarps, without carpophore, the nut orbicular, up to 15 mm long and wide, bearing a crest-like dorsal wing 15 mm high, and usually 4 ridges or winglets on each side 1.0-10.0 mm high, irregular or dissected along their margin, interconnected with ridges such that the surface of the nut between the winglets, and between the winglets and the dorsal crest, is irregularly foveolate, the surface of the nut between the areole and the proximal winglet smooth, appressed-sericeous throughout, the hairs with the trabecula 0.1-0.2 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Collected in flower in September and fruit in April and October to December.

    This species is used as an ingredient in the preparation of the hallucinogenic drink variously called “yagé,” “ayahuasca,” “natem.” Its leaves contain the hallucinogen dimethyl tryptamine (Der Marderosian et al., 1968; Agurell et al., 1968). It has been wrongly called Banisteriopsis rusbyana by ethnobotanists and botanists since Morton first misapplied this name to a sterile collection (Klug 1971) of the drug plant (Morton, 1931). Many of the collections of this species have been made by ethnobotanists as voucher specimens of the drug plant and are sterile. The drug plant apparently rarely flowers. It is often planted by the native peoples who use it in secluded places in the forest, and perhaps the few fertile collections may represent escape from such cultivation. Perhaps the natural habitat of this species is riverine; its fruits are well suited to water dispersal with the large air-filled locule and complex lateral winglets which could act as flotation devices. Because of its wide use as a drug plant, it is commonly transplanted by means of cuttings. Perhaps the two collections from Belem are the result of such a transplant.

  • Common Names

    Mené kahi ma, nyoko-buku guda hubea ma, yajé oko, ka-hee-ko, chagropanga, yageúco, oco yagé, chagropanga azul pisco, yají, yajé, yaco-ayahuasco, yagé

  • Distribution

    Flowering and fruiting collections of this species are from river margins in Amazonian Brazil and Venezuela, and Vaupés in Colombia, with two collections from near Belém in Pará, Brazil. Sterile collections of the drug plant are from Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

    Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Putumayo Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|