178 МЕ. R. SPRUCE'8 VISIT TO THE CINCHONA FORESTS 
as we reached it, the sun shone forth, the clouds cleared away, and 
the glaciers of Chimborazo stood out against the blue sky like cut 
marble; but the ground was still so sloppy that what I had for- 
merly passed over in two hours now took me three. What is 
called the “road” consists of I know not how many deep ruts, 
crossing and anastomosing in a very bewildering way, and so 
muddy and slippery that my horse preferred stumbling along among 
the hassocks of paja blanca (white grass)—a species of Stipa with 
feather-like silvery panicles tinged with rose—which forms the 
mass of the vegetation on the paramo. This grass affords excel 
lent thatch ; it is also extensively used in packing, and along all 
the higher grounds it is almost the only material for fuel. Between 
the hassocks, especially where there are slight declivities, there is 
an interesting sub-alpine vegetation,—a dense grassy turf is ena- 
melled with flowers, white, yellow, red, and purple, which seem to 
spring direct from the ground. Three daisy-like Werneria, all 
stemless and solitary, of which W. nubigena with its large white 
stars is the most conspicuous, grow along with astemless Valeriana, 
a small Castilleja, a Lupinus, a Cerastium, two species of Gentiana 
and two of Azorella. The cespitose Wernerie are true alpines, 
and grow at 2000 feet above the species just referred to. There 
are many little lakes, frequently bordered by the swelling, glaucous, 
sphagnum-like tufts of a Plantago, over which creep the silvery 
threads of a minute Gnaphalium and an equally minute white- 
flowered Gentiana. In such situations grow also a small Ranun- 
culus, bearing generally a single sessile flower and a pedunculate 
head of follicles, a Stachys, and several other herbs of humble 
growth. Heath-like tufts of Hedyotis ericoides, often accompanied 
by a suffruticose Valeriana of similar habit, and sometimes by a 
Calceolaria, here and there diversify the landscape; while the 
hassocks shelter in their bosom purple Lycopodia and other plants. 
Having passed Sanancajas, we descend to the sandy plain of 
Riobamba, whose general character is the same as that of Ambato, 
save that cactus-hedges often replace those of aloes. 
In Riobamba I remained three days with my hospitable country- 
man Dr. James Taylor, and then proceeded on my way, going the 
first day only as far as Miraflores, a farm six leagues away from 
Riobamba, and near the village of Guaméte. On the way we had 
to climb over a small space of paramo, where we got the benefit of 
a storm of hail and sleet. The vegetation was scanty, and I 
gathered only a minute Umbellifer which was new to me. Mira- 
flores is what is called a cold farm, consisting chiefly of pasture 
