i82 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



them only one European genus (Alnus). Amongst 

 the trees hitherto gathered are an Erythrina, a 

 Pithecolobium, three Polygaleae (Monninse), a hex- 

 androus Myrtus, a Proteacea (Roupala, sp. n.), a 

 Verbenacea, a Petiveriacea, a Crateegus (or some- 

 thing nearly allied), etc. etc. A curious tree on 

 wooded hills, at 6000 to 9000 feet, most resembles 

 Polemoniacese in its characters, but has nothing ol 

 the habit of that order. I believe most of the trees 

 will be undescribed. A Rutaceous shrub w r ith 

 long sarmentose pinnate branches, called Shangshi, 

 has the peculiarity that the petals, at first smaller 

 than the sepals, persist and become three times 

 larger, being at the time so much distended by a 

 dark purple fluid the universal substitute for ink 

 at Banos as to simulate the valves of a berried 

 capsule. It is so abundant that it must surely 

 have been previously gathered, yet I can find no 

 description of it. Another sarmentose shrub, 

 growing some 15 feet high, is a species of Cremo- 

 lobus, which seems to me to have as good a 

 claim to be considered a Capparid as a Crucifer. 

 On mossy declivities about the base of Tunguragua 

 are several Ericese, Vacciniaceae, and small-flowered 

 Orchideae. 



A fortnight ago I went to explore a wooded hill 

 called Guayra-pata (i.e. Windy Height) about 9000 

 feet high, a few hours farther up the Pastasa, 

 towards Chimborazo. I slept at a small hamlet 

 called Cotalo, 8000 feet high and terribly cold, 

 because situated on a plateau, exposed directly to 

 the winds that blow up the valley. At Cotalo 

 there is a small lake choked with weeds of the 

 same genera as I might have found in an English 



