186 MR. R. SPRUCE’S VISIT TO THE CINCHONA FORESTS 
most esteemed on the Rio Negro has a triangular stem thickly 
beset with prickles. 
Let me now say a word about the other plants accompanying 
the Cascarilla, and first of the Ivory-palm, which is known through- 
out the Ecuador by the name of “ Cádi.” In Maynas two species 
of Phytelephas were tolerably abundant, the one a slender species 
called “ Yarina,” and the other much stouter, called *Polo-ponto.''* 
Both were usually stemless, though ancient specimens had a 
short inclined stem. Neither of them seems to coincide with 
the Phytelephas described by Seemann. But the Сай seems di- 
stinct from all the preceding: it has a stout erect trunk of 15 or 
20 feet ; the fronds are 30 feet long, and the pinne are fastigiate by 
threes or fours (as in several Bactrides and Astrocarya), while in 
the other species they are equidistant ; lastly, the male flowers are 
racemed on a long pendulous spadix. The nuts are much the same 
as in the other species, only rather larger; they are extensively 
used in the Sierra for making heads of dolls, saints, and walking- 
sticks. The Cadi produces a very: excellent “ cabbage,” but the 
Indian and other inhabitants are fonder of a large maggot, called 
* Majón," which is bred in its trunk. I have seen the Indians of 
the Rio Negro and of Canelos roast and eat the larva of a beetle 
extracted from the trunk of the Popunha palm (Guilielma speciosa). 
A species of Carludovica with pinnate aculeate fronds was also 
frequent. Triplaris surinamensis, with its large bunches of tri- 
quetrous red fruits, was quite as abundant as on the Amazon ; and 
Lasionema roseum, a tree closely allied to the Cinchona, grew side 
by side with the Triplaris at Puma-cocha, just as it used to do at 
Tarapoto. 
In general the arborescent vegetation seemed scanty in species 
апа uninteresting. Опе of the most striking trees was an 
Erythrina with a slender tortuous (almost twining) trunk, from 
which sprang long spikes of scarlet flowers, and few branches 
bearing each а coma of ternate leaves, whereof the leaflets were 
sometimes 18 inches across. There were also a few figs, and on 
the steep declivities there were patches of low forest, consisting 
chiefly of Clusie, Thibaudie and Melastomacee. Two small 
Trichomanes crept along the branches of shrubs, but terrestrial 
ferns were all but absent. . 
On returning that evening to our hut, I consulted with Bermeo 
about our ulterior movements. He told me that if I would go 
+ Most likely “ Pülu-pántu" is the original Quichua, as the letter “o” does 
not exist in that language. 
