Psychotria carthagenensis
Jacq.
Rubiaceae
Mapouria alba intermedia Chodat & Hassl.
Mapouria alba tristis (Müll.Arg.) Chodat & Hassl.
Mapouria australis Müll.Arg.
Mapouria catharinensis Müll.Arg.
Mapouria compagniata Müll.Arg.
Mapouria crassa Müll.Arg.
Mapouria ficigemma (DC.) Lemée
Mapouria fockeana (Miq.) Bremek.
Mapouria martiana Müll.Arg.
Mapouria pohliana Müll.Arg.
Mapouria rabeniana Müll.Arg.
Mapouria riedeliana Müll.Arg.
Mapouria rigida Rusby
Mapouria tristis Müll.Arg.
Mapouria velhana Müll.Arg.
Psychotria decidua Vell.
Psychotria elliptica Ker Gawl.
Psychotria ficigemma DC.
Psychotria fockeana Miq.
Psychotria foveolata Ruiz & Pav.
Psychotria ilheosana Standl.
Psychotria proxima Standl.
Psychotria sagrana Urb.
Psychotria tristicula Standl.
Uragoga australis (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga carthagenensis (Jacq.) Kuntze
Uragoga catharinensis (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga compaginata (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga elliptica (Ker Gawl.) Drake
Uragoga ficigemma (DC.) Kuntze
Uragoga fockeana (Miq.) Kuntze
Uragoga jacobaschii Kuntze
Uragoga pohliana (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga rabeniana (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga reevesii Kuntze
Uragoga tristis (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga velhana (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze
Uragoga watsoniana Kuntze
Common Name:
General Information
Psychotria carthagenensis is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a small but dense, flat-topped crown; it can grow from 30cm up to 12 metres tall. The straight bole can be 20 - 30cm in diameter in larger plants[
369- Title
- Flora of Costa Rica
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C.
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago
- Year
- 1938
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet.
,
625- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 85-86714-34-4
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood, whilst the leaves are used locally as part of the hallucinogenic drink Ayahuasca.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
369- Title
- Flora of Costa Rica
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C.
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago
- Year
- 1938
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet.
Range
Throughout S. America other than Chile and the far south; Caribbean; C. America - Panama to Mexico.
Habitat
Shaded sites in seasonally dry deciduous forest formations of Guanacaste and northernmost Alajuela Province in Costa Rica, usually at elevations from 5 - 200 metres, occasionally to 1,400 metres[
369- Title
- Flora of Costa Rica
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C.
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago
- Year
- 1938
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 2.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in full sun to fairly dense, dappled shade[
625- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 85-86714-34-4
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
]. Plants are tolerant of a wide range of soil types and moisture levels[
625- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 85-86714-34-4
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
A slow-growing plant, even when young[
625- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 85-86714-34-4
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The leaves are often added to the hallucinogenic drink 'Ayahuasca', (which is prepared from Banisteriopsis Caapi and B. inebrians in the western Amazon) in order to 'strengthen' and 'lengthen' the effects of the drink. The leaves contain the compound N,N,-dimethyltryptamine, and this has been shown to enhance the action of the β-carboline alkaloids harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine that are found in the Banisteriopsis[
630- Title
- Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 28
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An article on the Ethnopharmacological uses of plants in northwestern S. America, amongst many other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
717- Title
- Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 23
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of botanical articles. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Other Uses
The wood is medium-textured, straight-grained, moderately heavy, slightly susceptible to the attacks of wood-eating organisms. Because of its generally small size, it is only used for purposes such as rural constructions, boards in general, toys, window and door frames, and boxes[
625- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 85-86714-34-4
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 60 - 80 days[
625- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
- 85-86714-34-4
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
