parently did not collect Cunuria Spruceana, although 
it should have been in flower at the time (Ducke in La 
Géograph. 80 (1914-15) 865-872). This serves to indi- 
‘cate the extremely localized and disrupted occurrence of 
the species, a phenomenon which has been noted in other 
regions for this as well as for other species of Cunuria. 
A large tree probably representing Cunuria Spruceana 
was observed by Schultes in numerous discontinuous lo- 
calities in the lower Rio Apaporis in eastern Colombia 
(Schultes in Chron. Bot. doc. cit.) during a survey of 
Hevea rubber which was made along that river in 1943. 
Cunuria Spruceana is an important food plant of many 
Indians, for the seeds, like those of Hevea, are a favorite 
food when properly prepared. Spruce (in Hook. Journ. 
Bot. 6 (1854) 333-337) reported that from the seeds of 
‘“cunuri, abundant on the Alto Rio Negro, Orinoco, 
Casiquiare, Pacimoni, etc. the Indians prepare a paste 
resembling cream-cheese in appearance and taste. The 
seeds are first boiled and then steeped for some days un- 
der water, after which they are broken up by the hand. 
In the boiling, a quantity of oil is said to be collected ; 
. it is said to be as bitter as andiroba oil, but to 
afford an excellent light.’’ There is a handwritten nota- 
tion on the herbarium specimen at Kew which gives 
much greater detail concerning the native uses of the 
seeds of Cunuria Spruceana: ‘‘On the Uaupés and 
around Sio Gabriel, a large tree, obviously allied to S7- 
phonia | Hevea], called by the Indians Cunuré is frequent 
in the forest. It has large arched buttresses at the base, 
like the uacu [Monopterya Uaucu Spruce ex Benth. }, 
from which it is distinguished by milk flowing from it 
when wounded. I have not yet seen its flowers or fruits, 
but the Indians describe the latter as tricoccous, quite 
as in Siphonia, and they use the seeds in a similar man- 
ner. These being boiled 24 hours yield a small quantity 
[ 843 ] 
