Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Rio Loretoyacu. October 20 30, 1945. 

 Schultes 6607. — Puerto Narifio, near mouth of Rio Loretoyacu. September 

 13-15, 1966. Schultes, Raffauf et Soejarto 24121. 



The Tikunas of the Rio Loretoyacu prepare a decoction of the 

 inflorescences of Sanchezia thinophila to be used as a wash to 

 bathe the heads of girls who undergo the tribal adolescent initia- 

 tory ceremony characteristic of these Indians. The hair is force- 

 fully pulled out, leading to profuse bleeding. It is possible that 

 this use is related to a kind of "Doctrine of Signature" connec- 

 tion with the large, showy, blood-red bracts of the plant. 



Little is known of the chemistry of Sanchezia. The leaves of 

 Schultes, Raffauf et Soejarto 24121 proved to be alkaloid- 

 negative with a Dragendorff reagent spot-test on fresh material. 



Rubiaceae 



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



Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Leticia. August 29 31, 1966. Schultes, 

 Raffauf, Forero et Soejarto 24002; 24041. 



Both of these collections produced positive alkaloid reactions 

 with Dragendorff spot-tests. The local inhabitants report that a 

 decoction of the leaves is rubbed on the chest to relieve pains. 



M 



Publ. 8(1930)224. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Leticia. "Tree 30 feet. Fruit green-black. 

 Receptacle and axes purplish. August 29-31, 1966. Schultes. Raffauf Forero 

 et Soejarto 24020. 



An alkaloid-positive reading was given by a Dragendorff 

 spot-test on the leaves of this plant. 



Palicourea crocea (Sw.) Roemer et Schultes, Syst. Veg. 5(1819) 

 193. 



Colombia: Comisaria del Amazonas, Leticia. "Flowers bright yellow; axes 

 orange. Fruit green. Scandent shrub." August 29-31, 1966. Schultes, Raffauf 

 Forero et Soejarto 24023. 



The leaves of this shrub give an alkaloid-positive spot-test 

 with Dragendorff reagent on fresh material. 



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