Amongst the Kofan Indians, the stem of Schiekia orinocensis 1s 
employed as a soap. It is known by the Spanish name jabon 
(“soap”). 
Nothing is known of the chemistry of Schiekia. 
ORCHIDACEAE 
Dichaea muricata (Sw.) Lindley, Gen. et Sp. Orch. PI. (1833) 209. 
Ecuapor: Napo, Rio Aguarico, Dureno. 1966. H. V. Pinkley 526. 
A wash prepared from this orchid is valued by the Kofan 
Indians for treating eye infections, probably conjunctivitis which 
is common in the region. The Kofan name of the plant is shahasi- 
sehe "-pa. 
No chemical studies apparently have been done on Dichaea. 
Oncidium pusillum (L.) Reichenbach fil. in Walpers Ann. Bot. 6 
(1863) 714. 
Ecuapor: Napo, Rio Aguarico, Dureno. 1965. H. V. Pinkley 11. 
The Kofan Indians of the Colombo-Ecuadorian part of the 
westernmost Amazon treat lacerations with a wash prepared by 
boiling this plant in water. The Kofans call the plant arii -pa- 
kashaikie-si-sehe "-pa. 
Oncidium pusillum has apparently not been checically studied. 
Recently a new name for this well known orchid has been 
proposed: Psygmorchis pusilla (L.) Dressler et Dodson. Believing 
that this new genus Psygnorchis is based upon trivial characters, | 
prefer to employ the widely and time-honoured binomial Oncidi- 
um pusillum. 
Phragmipedium ecuadorense Garay in Harling et Sparre, FI. 
Ecuad., Orch., no. 9, pt. 1 (1979) 15. 
Ecuapor: Napo, Rio Aguarico, between Dureno and Santa Cecilia. 
“Growing on vertical cliff about 8 ft. above river. Flower greenish. Plant 
extremely rare, according to the Kofans.” November 1966. H. V. Pinkley 553. 
This orchid is boiled in water to prepare a tea taken for 
“stomach trouble.” The Kofan names are shatifa-se ‘he ’-pa and 
topa-sé-he ‘-pa. 
