LECYTHIDACEAE 



Asteranthos brasiliensis Desfontaines in Mem. Mus. Paris 6 

 (1820) 9, t. 3, 



Colombia: Comisaria del Vaupes, Rio Guainia, Puerto Colombia. "Bush. 

 Flowers yellow. Bracts green." October 3NNovember 2, 1952. SchuUes, Baker 

 et Cabrera 18214, 



The bark of the stem and root of this bush are employed in the 

 form of a decoction as a strong purgative amongst the Kuri- 

 pakos of the Rio Guainia, 



CJiytroma gigantea (Kunth) Kunth in Pflanzenr. Heft 105, 4. 

 Fam. 219a (1935) 85. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Rio Loretoyacu. October 1946. Schultes 

 et Black 8558. 



The Tikuna Indians add the dried flowers in the form of a 



powder to fermented chicha prepared from Manihot esculenta 

 Crantz, 



J 



Chytroma turbinata (Berg) Miers in Trans. Linn. Soc. 30(1874) 

 234. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Rio Loretoyacu. September 1946. 

 Schultes et Black 8280. 



The flowers of Chytroma turbinata are dried, powdered and 

 mixed with chicha, a fermented Manihot drink amongst the 

 Tikuna Indians; the purpose of this use of the flowers is 

 unknown. 



Chytroma valida Miers in Trans. Linn. Soc. 30 (1874) 241. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Vaupes, Mitu, base of Cerro Mitu. "Flowers yellow- 

 cream, fragrant." September 27-October 20, 1966. Schultes, Raffauf et 

 Soejarto 24250. 



The leaves and bark of this tree are alkaloid-negative with a 

 Dragendorff reagent spot test. 



356 



