Cephaelis Williamsii Standlev in Field. Mus. Pubi. Bot. 8 (1930) 

 185. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Putumayo, Rio Uchupayaco. Uchupayacu, between 

 Urcusique and Umbria. Alt. c. 300 m. "Large bush. Fruit green." February 23, 

 1942. Schultes 3298. 



The Siona Indians point out this plant as a source of a 

 febrifugal tea. 



Duroia hirsuta {P. et E.) K. Schumann in Martius, Fl. Bras. 6, 

 pt. 6 (1889) 367. 



CoLOMBi.\: Comisaria del Putumayo, Rio Sucumbios, Conejo. Alt. 300 m. 

 April 5, 1942. Schultes 3536. 



The bark of this small tree is caustic. A band of the bark is tied 

 around the arm and kept for several days. After it is removed, 

 the skin develops a red irritation and blisters, as if the skin had 

 been burnt. The irritated area then turns blue-black, leaving the 

 mark which persists for a month or longer (Schultes: Bot. Mus. 

 Leafl., Harvard Univ. 22 (1969) 152; Schultes in II Simposio de 

 la Biologia Tropical Amazonica (1970) 194-195.) 



This cosmetic use of the bark is frequent in a number of 

 Indian tribes in the Putumayo, but it is an especially common 

 practice amongst the Kofan where one finds hardly a man who 

 does not have the blue-black decoration on one or both arms. 

 The Kofan call Duroia hirsuta sha-ka-ker'-na-se. The name in 

 Spanish is soHnian. 



Isertia hypoleuca Bentham in Hooker, Journ. bot. 3 (1841) 220. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Leticia. September 20, 1945. Schultes 

 65-^0. — Same locality. September 7, 1963. Soejarto 57-^. — Same locality. 

 August 1964. Raffauf 110. 



In the Leticia area, the inhabitants powder the leaves of this 

 common weedy treelet to apply to sores of the lip which appear 

 to be herpes. An infusion of the leaves is said to have anti- 

 asthmatic properties but in high doses may be poisonous. 



364 



