OF THE QUITENIAN ANDES. 188 
with a black outer edge—a colour not unlike that of old walnuts ; 
во that articles fabricated of this wood are curiously mottled. 
Unfortunately the trunk never exceeds a few inches in diameter, 
во that only small articles can be made of it. I have secured a 
specimen of the wood, and of spoons made from it, for the Kew 
Museum. | 
One of the most frequent trees at Lucmas, and the most valu- 
able for its hard wood (though the young branches are brittle), is 
an Hscalloniacea, called “ Ignia." It grows to a good size; the 
leaves are narrow-lanceolate and very long—the lower ones always 
red, and the reddish flowers are borne in long pendulous racemes ; 
во that the tree has a very pretty aspect. It abounds along the 
western slope of the Cordillera, and grows at from 5000 to 9000 
feet. It is accompanied by an Amyrideous tree, called “ Alubilla,”’ 
which the people hold in great dread, as they believe that to touch 
it or pass beneath its shade is enough to cause the body to swell 
all over. І had already, at Baños, gathered flowers and fruit of it, 
and stained my hands with the milk, to the great horror of those 
who saw me, but without experiencing any ill effects ; and I believe 
- that the swelling attributed to it is owing more to sudden changes 
of temperature, or to alternate scorchings and wettings, for I have 
seen such an effect follow where theré was no Alubilla. Be this 
as it may, the young man I took as guide felt one of his eyes begin 
to swell the day we left Lucmas for Guataxi, and in a few hours 
he was swollen from head to foot. In two or three days he was 
quite well again, but there are cases of the swelling lasting a month. 
As might be supposed, the blame was laid on the Alubilla. | 
Lucmas takes its name from the abundance of a species of 
Lucuma, producing an edible fruit; that name is applied to many 
species of Lucwna and Achras, all natives of warm or hot countries. 
Another evidence of the approach to a hot climate was in the 
existence of a species of Echites, twining among the bushes, and 
in an epiphytal Marcgraviacea, quite similar in its long scarlet 
spikes to Norantea guianensis, though the bracts are small patella, 
not elongated sacs, аз їп that species. A very odoriferous Citrosma, 
With large thin leaves, three together, is known by the name of 
“ Guayüsa," and is often taken in infusion, like the Guayúsa of 
Canelos, which, however, is a species of ел. 
There were a good many herbs, of species not seen elsewhere. 
One Composita, with virgate stems 12 feet high, large alternate, 
lobed leaves, and from each axil а small leafy ramulus bearing at 
its apex a corymb of white radiate flowers, was very ornamental. 
