THE FORESTS OF ALAUSI 239 



Unfortunately, the trunk never exceeds a few inches 

 in diameter, so that only small articles can be made 

 of it. I have secured a specimen of the wood, 

 and of spoons made from it, for the Kew Museum. 



One of the most frequent trees at Lucmas, and 

 the most valuable for its hard wood (though the 

 young branches are brittle), is an Escalloniacea 

 called Ignia. It grows to a good size ; the 

 leaves are narrow-lanceolate and very long--the 

 lower ones always red and the reddish flowers are 

 borne in long pendulous racemes ; so that the tree 

 has a very pretty aspect. It abounds along the 

 western slope of the Cordillera, and grows at 

 from 5000 to 9000 feet. It is accompanied by an 

 Amyrideous tree called Alubilla, which the people 

 hold in great dread, as they believe that to 

 touch it or pass beneath its shade is enough to 

 cause the body to swell all over. I had already, 

 at Barios, gathered flowers and fruit of it, and 

 stained my hands with the milk, to the great horror 

 of those who saw me, but without experiencing any 

 ill effects; and I believe that the swelling attributed 

 to it is owing more to sudden changes of tempera- 

 ture, or to alternate scorchings and wettings, for 

 I have seen such an effect follow where there was 

 no Alubilla. Be this as it may, the young man 

 I took as guide felt one of his eyes begin to swell 

 the day we left Lucmas for Guataxi, and in a few 

 hours he was swollen from head to foot. In two 

 or three days he was quite well again, but there 

 are cases of the swelling lasting a month. As 

 might be supposed, the blame was laid on the 

 Alubilla. 



Lucmas takes its name from the abundance of 



