4 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



thickish Imba-iiba (Cecropia) has the bark mottled with red and 

 white as in the Bread-fruit tree. In some places is an Anonaceous 

 tree, about 30 feet high, with a profusion of flowers in small 

 axillary clusters on the upper side of the long branchlets. The 

 solitary tall Assai palm is very scarce, occurring only towards the 

 mouth of the Coary. 



A remarkable tree occurs below Coary, 50 feet high, the top 

 spreading, the lanceolate pale green leaves clustered on the ends 

 of slender twigs, the flower-stalks long, descending then ascend- 

 ing, growing on the main branches and trunk nearly to the base, 

 fruits pendent, globular, size of an orange, but said when ripe to 

 be much larger, having a hard shell with four seeds. It is probably 

 a species of Couroupita (Lecythidere). 



Much wild Cacao is seen on the margins and as far within as 

 the inundation extends conspicuous from its young red leaves. 

 There is generally much Castanha (Brazil-nut) in the forests. 



At T.butinga I gathered flowers of a small Composite tree 

 growing 6 to 15 feet high and looking very like a willow. It is 

 the Tessaria legitima, DC., and had been noticed from the mouth 

 of the Japura upwards. 



A Serjania (Sapindaceae) with large masses of red capsules is 

 now very frequent, and a low Copaifera in flower grows here and 

 there by the water's edge. The Pao Mulatto continues very 

 abundant and our firewood consists wholly of this species. There 

 is no handsomer tree in the gapo. It sometimes reaches near 

 100 feet high. It is branched from about the middle, and the 

 tup forms a narrow inverted cone. The surface of the trunk and 

 branches is somewhat wavy or corrugated, but the bark is quite 

 smooth and shining. When I went to Manaquiry in June 1851 the 

 trees were shedding their bark, the process being a longitudinal split- 

 ting up in one or more places, and a rolling back from both edges of 

 the rupture. The young bark thus exposed is green, but it speedily 

 assumes a deep bronze or leaden hue, and finally a chestnut 

 colour hence its name. 1 Some small Rubiaceous trees have the 

 same property; for instance, Eicosmia corymbosa and a tree in 

 the forest at Yurimaguas, with leaves resembling those of a Nona- 

 telia, but the bark is greener than that of the Pao Mulatto. With 

 this latter tree, on the Solimoes, frequently grows the Castanheiro 

 <1 > Macaco, with globular brown fruits, probably a species of 

 Couroupita. 



JOURNAL (continued] 



March 27. At 4 P.M. we reached Tabatinga, 

 the frontier town of Brazil, situated on the north 



1 [This tixx- \\is, later, collected by Spruce, and 1 icing new was named by 

 Mr. llemliain Enkylisla Sprite ana. It belongs to the Cinchonacece.] 



