188 MR. R. SPRUCE’S VISIT TO THE CINCHONA FORESTS 
this genus are trees, I took it for a Polygala until I saw the fruit. 
The * Yerba Taylor" (Herpestes chamedryoides, H.B.K.), which 
has great fame as а remedy for snake-bites, was frequent, but 
mostly scorched up. Amongst the perennial herbs (most of which 
were new to me) may be mentioned an Epilobium, a Stachys, a 
Phaseolus, a Desmodium,two Crotalaria, a shaggy Hieracium, a very 
pretty Leria with large blue flowers, growing on shady banks, and 
a branched Composita with silky-white leaves and handsome purple 
flowers, besides several Solanee, Labiate, Ehretiacee, and two 
Acanthacee, which last order seems entirely absent from the cold 
region ; also a suffruticose Lantana with yellow flowers, which I had 
not seen elsewhere. In moist places a little Cuphea was very abun- 
dant. The shrubberies consisted chiefly of Composite, whereof 
one resembled a Spiræa in aspect and in the odour of its numerous 
small white flowers ; but there was also a new Büttneria, and the 
eommon Clematis of the warmer parts of the Cordillera climbed 
about everywhere. 
In cultivated ground, especially in the maize and cane fields, 
two delicate broad-leaved Paspala, called “ Achín," spring up in 
great abundance. Every day I saw the servants of the farm get 
bundles of them for the cows, pigs, &c., which ate them with 
greater avidity than even the alfalfa, so that, though weeds, they 
were nearly as valuable to the owner as the crops amongst which 
they grew. 
Among the trees, which grew chiefly along the banks of the 
river, were two species of Lycium not previously seen, an Inga, а 
Mimosa, and a Bignoniacea with broad opposite leaves and cymes 
of large purple flowers. The last, known by the name of “ Hualla,” 
is frequent in the western Cordillera at from 6000 to 9000 feet, 
and is one of the best timber-trees. It is not improbably the 
little-known Delostoma integrifolium, Don; but it is not a Delo- 
stoma, for, besides an essential difference in the calyx, the septum 
is contrary to the valves, as in Tecoma, not parallel to them, as in 
Delostoma and Bignonia. 
So soon as the last soldier had passed, I put in execution my 
project of visiting the forests producing the Cascarilla serrana or 
Hill Bark, which is found at 8500—9000 feet on both sides of the 
river Obanchán. I went first to the forest of Llalla, at the foot 
of Azuay, and only a little more than two hours’ journey from Gua- 
taxi. Here there is a cattle-farm and a few Indian chacras, in one 
of which I established myself. I found a rather interesting vege- 
tation, and this consoled me for my wretched quarters in à hut 
