This remarkable plant is a native of elevated and cold 

 situations in the provinces of Tarma, Xauxa, Huarochesi, 

 Canta, and Humalies, where it grovv^s among rubbish ; it is 

 also found near the village of La Cruz, and on the banks 

 of the river Mayo, between Almaguer and Pasto in New 

 Grenada, where it was found by Humboldt and Bonpland, 

 at nearly 7000 feet above the sea. It begins to flower in 

 June and ceases in November. By the Peruvians it is called 

 Florijwndio encarnado and Campanulas encarnadas ; by the 

 Columbians Bovochevo. Its stature varies from 10 to 20 feet, 

 the stem being generally undivided and terminated by a 

 roundish leafy head. The flowers are either a bright 

 yellowish orange colour, or the deep orange red of our figure; 

 we believe they change from the former to the latter. They 

 are succeeded by an oblong, smooth, yellow, pendulous 

 capsule, which is as much as eight inches long. The seeds, 

 like those of the common Stramonium, are narcotic in a high 

 degree. In the Temple of the Sun, in the city of Sogamoza, 

 there is a famous oracle, the priests of which inspire them- 

 selves by chewing the intoxicating seeds of this plant, just as 

 the Pythoness at Delphi received the influence of her god 

 by chewing laurel leaves and inhaling a gaseous vapour. 

 From the fruit itself the Columbians prepare a drink called 

 Tonga, which when weak is merely soporific, but drank in 

 stronger doses produces frenzy, which can only be removed 

 by administering immediate draughts of cold water. 



From deference to the authority of Mr. Don, we adopt the 

 genus Brugman^ia ; but we confess our inability to discover 

 any ground for separating it from Datura, except that its 

 calyx does not separate from its base, and drop off as in the 

 commoner species of the latter genus. 



With regard to the specific name, however, we feel bound 

 to preserve that first given to the plant in Persoon's synopsis. 

 It would have been better, perhaps, had that Botanist retained 

 the specific name of the Flora Peruviana, although in trans- 

 ferring the plant to a new genus he was by no means required 

 to do so ; but as he did not, we cannot perceive either the 

 necessity or the expediency of creating a new name now ; 



