I had thought this could be a coffee plant, but when I googled pictures the arrangement and shape of the berries don't really fit it, they were also growing in too shady spots maybe for being coffee plants?

Maybe the coffee plant Canephora robusta?

http://www.google.com/search?q...

I think this is going to be tough Myriam!

Coffea arabica in the photos I found show berries on short stems along the branches..

http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/pla...

Hmm Lin, that one isn't listed in Brasil and the beans are also along the main stem. I think it was growing naturally in forests Myriam?

Thanks Lin and Janet..
Yes, Janet the plant was growing naturally in the dark under the thick canopy of trees, I had to use the flash to get more or less decent pictures..
I took their pictures because I originally thought they were coffee plants, but that doesn't seem to be the case as far as I checked pictures on the web..
I'm sure it will be a tough one!

Psychotria looks possible! What a lot of species!

http://131.230.176.4/cgi-bin/d...


Rubiaceae Psychotria acreana K.Krause
Rubiaceae Psychotria acuminata Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria acuminata subsp. boraginoides Dwyer
Rubiaceae Psychotria adderleyi Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria adenophora Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria alba Ruiz & Pav.
Rubiaceae Psychotria alemquerensis Huber
Rubiaceae Psychotria ampla Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria amplectens Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria anceps Kunth
Rubiaceae Psychotria anisocephala Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria apocynifolia A.Gray
Rubiaceae Psychotria apoda Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria appendiculata Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria araguariensis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ararum C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria arenosa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria argentinensis Bacig.
Rubiaceae Psychotria argoviensis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria arirambana Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria aubletiana Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria bahiensis DC.
Rubiaceae Psychotria berteroana DC.
Rubiaceae Psychotria berteroana DC. subsp. berteroana
Rubiaceae Psychotria beyrichiana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria blakei Standl. & Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria borjensis Kunth
Rubiaceae Psychotria bostrychothyrsus Sandwith
Rubiaceae Psychotria brachiata Sw.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brachyandra Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brachyanthema Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brachyceras Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brachygyne Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brachypoda (Müll.Arg.) Britton
Rubiaceae Psychotria bracteocardia (DC.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria bradei Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brazaoi Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria bremekampiana Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brevicollis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria breviflora (Schltdl.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria brevipedunculata Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria caerulea Ruiz & Pav.
Rubiaceae Psychotria callithrix (Miq.) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria calocardia Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria campyloneura Müll. Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria campylopoda Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria canescens Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria capillacea (Müll.Arg.) Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria capitata Ruiz & Pav.
Rubiaceae Psychotria capitata Ruiz & Pav. subsp. capitata
Rubiaceae Psychotria capitata subsp. inundata (Benth.) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria cardiomorpha C.M.Taylor & A.Pool
Rubiaceae Psychotria carthagenensis Jacq.
Rubiaceae Psychotria casiquiaria Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria castellana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria caudata M.Gomes
Rubiaceae Psychotria celiae Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ceratantha Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria chlorophylla Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ciliolata Schltdl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria clavipes Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria colorata (Willd. ex Schult.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria compta Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria concinna Oliv.
Rubiaceae Psychotria contracta Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria cornigera Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria coussareoides Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria crocochlamys Sandwith
Rubiaceae Psychotria cujabensis Schltdl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria cupularis (Müll.Arg.) Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria cuspidata Bremek. ex Roem.& Schult.
Rubiaceae Psychotria debilis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria deflexa DC.
Rubiaceae Psychotria deflexa DC. subsp. deflexa
Rubiaceae Psychotria densicostata Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria dolichophylla (Standl.) C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria duckei Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria duricoria Standl. & Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria duricoria Standl. & Steyerm. var. duricoria
Rubiaceae Psychotria duricoria var. longiloba Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria egensis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ernestii K.Krause
Rubiaceae Psychotria everardii Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria exannulata Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria febrifuga Poepp.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ficigemma DC.
Rubiaceae Psychotria fimbriflora Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria fissistipula Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria flaviventer Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria fluminensis Vell.
Rubiaceae Psychotria formosa Cham. & Schltdl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria formosissima Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria forsteronioides Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria fractistipula L.B.Sm. et al.
Rubiaceae Psychotria friburgensis Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria gabrielis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria glandulicalyx Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria glaziovii Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria gracilenta Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria hastisepala Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria hemicephaelis Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria herzogii S.Moore
Rubiaceae Psychotria heterocephala Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria heteroneura Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria hirtinervia Wawra
Rubiaceae Psychotria hoffmannseggiana (Willd. ex Schult.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria hoffmannseggiana var. tribracteata (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria horizontalis Sw.
Rubiaceae Psychotria humboldtiana (Cham.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria hypochlorina C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria ibitipocae Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ignea Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria inaequifolia Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria insolens Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria intermedia Gardner
Rubiaceae Psychotria iodotricha Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria irwinii Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria jambosioides Schltdl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria japurensis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria jasminoides Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria klugii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria krukovii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria kuhlmannii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria laciniata Vell.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lagoensis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lasiopus Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lasiostylis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria leiantha Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria leiocarpa Cham. & Schltdl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria leitana C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria limitanea Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lindenii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lindleyana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria loefgrenii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria longicuspis Müll. Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria longipes Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lucidifolia Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria lupulina Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria luxurians Rusby
Rubiaceae Psychotria maguireorum Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria malmei (Standl.) Zappi
Rubiaceae Psychotria manausensis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria mandiocana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria mapourioides DC.
Rubiaceae Psychotria maranhana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria marginata Sw.
Rubiaceae Psychotria martiusii Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria maturacensis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria mazaruniensis Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria megacephala Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria megalocalyx Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria melanotricha Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria mesomorpha Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria microbotrys Ruiz ex Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria microcarpa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria mima Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria mineirensis Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria minutiflora Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria muelleriana Wawra
Rubiaceae Psychotria multiplex Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria muscosa (Jacq.) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria muscosa subsp. breviloba Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria myriantha Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria nematostachya Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria nemorosa Gardner
Rubiaceae Psychotria neurothrix Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria nitidula Cham. & Schltdl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria niveobarbata (Müll.Arg.) Britton
Rubiaceae Psychotria nuda (Cham. & Schltdl.) Wawra
Rubiaceae Psychotria obconica Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria obliquinervia Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria oblita Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria oblonga (DC.) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria occidentalis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria officinalis (Aubl.) Raeusch. ex Sandwith
Rubiaceae Psychotria opaca Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria oreadum S.Moore
Rubiaceae Psychotria ostreophora (Wernham) C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria ownbeyi Standl. ex C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria pacimonica Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pallens Gardner
Rubiaceae Psychotria paludosa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria paniculata (Aubl.) Raeusch.
Rubiaceae Psychotria paravillosa C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria parimensis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria patens Sw.
Rubiaceae Psychotria patentinervia Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria paulina Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria phaneroloma Standl. & Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria phaneroplexa Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria phyllocalymma Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria phyllocalymmoides Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pichisensis Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pilosa Ruiz & Pav.
Rubiaceae Psychotria piresii Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria platypoda DC.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pleiocephala Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pluriceps Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria poeppigiana Müll. Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria polycephala Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pongoana Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria prancei Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria prunifolia (Kunth) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria pseudinundata Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria puberulina (Müll.Arg.) Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria purpurascens Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria quadribracteata Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rabeniana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria racemosa Rich.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rauwolfioides Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria refracta Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria reginae Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria remota Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rhodothamna Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rhombibractea C.M.Taylor & M.T.Campos
Rubiaceae Psychotria rhytidocarpa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rigescens Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria robertii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rondonii Delprete
Rubiaceae Psychotria rosea (Benth.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rosea (Benth.) Müll.Arg. var. rosea
Rubiaceae Psychotria rosea var. trichophora Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ruelliifolia (Cham. & Schltdl.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ruizii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria rupestris Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria salzmanniana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria sambucina Link ex Schult.
Rubiaceae Psychotria santae-rosae Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria santaremica Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria schlechtendaliana (Müll.Arg.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria schomburgkii Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria semifissa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria silvae Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria silvicola Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria soteropolitana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria spathicalyx Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria spectabilis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria sphaerocephala Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria spiciflora Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria stachyoides Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria stellaris Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria stenostachya Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria stipulosa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria strigosa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria subacuminalis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria subfusca Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria subremota Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria subspathacea Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria subspathulata (Müll.Arg.) C.M.Taylor
Rubiaceae Psychotria subtriflora Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria subundulata Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria suterella Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria sutericalyx Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria tapirapecoana Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tenerior (Cham.) Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tenuicaulis K.Krause
Rubiaceae Psychotria tenuifolia Sw.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tenuinervis Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tepuiensis (Steyerm.) Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tessmannii Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tomentella (S.Moore) Zappi
Rubiaceae Psychotria transiens Wernham
Rubiaceae Psychotria tribracteata C.Wright ex Griseb.
Rubiaceae Psychotria tricephala (Müll.Arg.) Zappi
Rubiaceae Psychotria trichocephala Poepp. & Endl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria trichophora Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria trichophoroides Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria trichotoma M.Martens & Galeotti
Rubiaceae Psychotria trichotoma var. trichophylla Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria trivialis Rusby
Rubiaceae Psychotria turbinella Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria uberabana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ulei Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria ulviformis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria urceolata Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria variegata Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria vellerea Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria vellosiana Benth.
Rubiaceae Psychotria venezuelensis Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria venulosa Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria vestita C.Presl
Rubiaceae Psychotria villosa Ruiz & Pav.
Rubiaceae Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav.
Rubiaceae Psychotria warmingii Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria wawrana Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria wesselsboeri Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria wilkesiana Standl.
Rubiaceae Psychotria wurdackii Steyerm.
Rubiaceae Psychotria xantholoba Müll.Arg.
Rubiaceae Psychotria xiriricana Standl. ex Hoehne
Rubiaceae Psychotria zevallosii (Standl.) C.M.Taylor
.

I'm sure you got the genus Janet! Psychotria certainly is the most likely candidate!
But WOW!! what a lot of species!!! sighhh....
Maybe we better leave it to that..

bonitin said:I'm sure you got the genus Janet! Psychotria certainly is the most likely candidate!
But WOW!! what a lot of species!!! sighhh....
Maybe we better leave it to that..

Yes I think we wil have to leave it there, a search for just Psychotria brings up very little. It's hopeless to try.

May be... Psychotria racemosa, from coffee plant family (Rubiaceae)

http://www.tropicos.org/Name/5...

bonitin said:I'm sure you got the genus Janet! Psychotria certainly is the most likely candidate!
But WOW!! what a lot of species!!! sighhh....
Maybe we better leave it to that..

the coffee is hard,
cca 2800 species without the cultivar,

The Rubiaceae is a very large Family in the Brazilian rainforest.

Myriam's plant does show similarities to Psychotria, but there are a large amount of other Genera that it is similar to as well.

Seeing the flowers and any other details will help, but very hard to find an ID a member of the one of the largest Families in the rainforest.

Cephalis & Palicourea are closely related to Psychotria. There are many other trees & shrubs with similar fruiting characters.

There's 29 Genera with 29 species of Rubiaceae in the Atlantic rainforest of Rio de Janeiro.

http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/jab...

Cephalis isn't listed, Palicourea isn't either. Neither is Psychotria! I don't think we had the advantage of Flora do Brasil at the time, now we do so maybe a fresh start is in order.

Thanks for the link Janet!

The only decent information on South American rainforest plants that I have are books by Richard Schultes. It's hard to find much on the internet.

Aloha, Dave

I see the link has changed Dave, here's the home page ..

http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/jab...

Once you go to the Brazilian Flora checklist you can select family, area (south east - sudeste), under that the state Rio de Janeiro then under the state, Mata Atlantica (Atlantic forest) which will bring up the species in that area.

I have other useful sites ..

https://sites.google.com/site/...

http://www.arvores.brasil.nom....

https://sites.google.com/site/...

http://sura.ots.ac.cr/local/fl...

http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/pla...

http://www.kew.org/science/tro...

http://www.ufjf.br/floraserran...

http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/pla...

http://www.brazilplants.com/in...

http://www.colecionandofrutas....

Thanks for all the reference resources Janet!

I was googling a number of Genera from Schultes "The Healing Forest", but not coming up with much.

Here is Psychotria hawaiiensis.

When I searched for Psychotria in the Flora do Brasil, it came up with 62 species Janet.
http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/jab...

Some of these now even have life photos what is a big improvement, unfortunately I didn't find the plant in bloom and I have too little other details too. little was I aware at the time it would be such a tough one, not being familiar with tropical plants and the often incredible amount of different species;
It would have been so nice to have got the introduction and guidance from a person with plant knowledge, no one in my surrounding seemed to know much or had enough interest..

Thanks for all the research links! they might be very useful, I have so many plants not only from this last trip, but also from last year that need an ID..and mostly I even don't know where to start like in what family I should search!


Psychotria hawaiiensis looks like a big shrub, Dave!

Hi Myriam!

Regardless of a positive ID, you know that you have an unusual plant in the Coffee Family, Rubiaceae. You may have found something unusual and rare.
Janet has provided a great reference source. Folks are looking and interested.

If you can provide any more sample / photos, maybe more can be figured. Nice to learn new stuff!

The Hawaiian Psychotria can become a large tree.

This is Psychotria mauiensis. (Excuse the photo quality. They're from the other side of the Island, in hard to get to areas.)

I searched for the area you were in Myriam, "Rubiaceae in the Atlantic rainforest of Rio de Janeiro" .

Once you go to the Brazilian Flora checklist you can select family, area (south east - sudeste), under that the state Rio de Janeiro then under the state, Mata Atlantica (Atlantic forest) which will bring up the species in that area.

Yesterday when I searched the page wasn't in English as it usually is, today it is. I got different results too! 56 Genera, 328 species. This time Palicourea is listed and several species of Psychotria. I think the site wasn't working properly yesterday.

I'm sure the links will be helpful given a lot of research , you're welcome.

No I don't have any more pics that could provide more info on the plant in question, Dave. I have tried to find the same or a similar plant again, in the hope to get better and more detailed photos, (I only had a compact camera at the time when I took the pics and taking good photos in poor light like there is under the dense tropical tree canopy is a challenge!) I didn't find any but the last two trips were in a different area of the Atlantic forest though not very far off either. And yes, maybe the plant I found then was a rare species..
But probably many others I found the last two years must be in that huge Rubiaceae family.
If I get around I'll look in that one with the useful links of Janet!
Thanks for posting another of you Psychotria!
I guess the Hawaiian rainforest must be as enchanting as the Atlantic rainforest! Warm and humid! How I miss it!, not the ever-present mosquitoes and nasty horseflies though!

Thanks Janet! Cross-posted!
yes, the Flora do Brasil often behaves odd! It also takes ages to open the photos they have started providing..

Maybe I'd better mark the thread back to unsolved?

If the identification of the plants was so simple, We don't need 99% of botanists. I don't want to offend you, what you are doing is dilettantism. To determine the right kind is for expert problem especially in this rich genus. Learn how to identify plants.