188 MR. E. SPHIJCE's YISIT to the CINCIIOKA FORESTS 



this genua are trees, I took it for a Polygala until I saw the fruit. 

 The " Yerba Taylor" {Herpestes chamcedryoides, H.B.K.), which 

 has great fame as a 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 Epilohium, a Stachys, a 

 JPhaseoluSj a Desmodium,t\YO Crotalarice, a shsiggj Ilieracium, 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 Solanecd, LabiatcB, Ehretiacece, and two 

 AcanthacecB, whicli last order seems entirely absent from the cold 

 region ; also a suifruticose Lantana with yellow flowers, which I hail 

 not seen elsewhere. In moist places a little CupJiea was very abun- 

 dant. The shrubberies consisted chiefly of Compositce, whereof 

 one resembled a Spio^cea in aspect and in the odour of its numerous 

 small white flowers ; but there was also a new JButtneria, and the 

 common 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 "xlchin," 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, a 

 Mimosa, and a JBignoniacea vnth 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 Chanchan. 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 a hut 



