IN THE CINCHONA FORESTS 277 



recesses of the forest, they were sought out and cropped by the 

 starving animals. After the bamboo above spoken of, the Arrow- 

 cane (Gynerium saccharoides] is the most notable grass, and 

 forms considerable beds, especially near streams. This species 

 is abundant enough on low shores and islands of the Amazon, 

 but it has nowhere spread far from the river-bank, nor (so far as 

 I can ascertain) is it found wild on any of the tributaries of that 

 river, but those which rise in the Andes. . . . Even on the 

 Amazon it looks dwindled, and rarely exceeds 1 8 or 20 feet high ; 

 but on reaching the roots of the Andes of Maynas, one begins to 

 see this noble grass in its true proportions. ... It attains its 

 maximum of development on stony springy declivities, at an 

 elevation of about 1500 feet above the sea, where a forest of 

 Arrow-cane, with its tall slender stems of 30 to 40 feet, each 

 supporting a fan-shaped coma of distichous leaves, and a long- 

 stalked thyrse of rose and silver flowers waving in the wind, is 

 truly a grand sight. The longest stem I ever measured was one 

 I met a man carrying on his shoulder at Tarapoto. From that 

 stem had been cut away the leaves and peduncle, and the base 

 of the stem, which is generally beset by stout-arched exserted 

 roots (serving as buttresses), to a height of i to 3 feet ; yet the 

 residue was 37 feet long, so that the entire length must have been 

 at least 45 feet. 



The other grasses accompanying the Red Bark comprise 

 several of those rampant forest Panica which thread among 

 adjacent branches to a height of 15 feet or more. The long 

 internodes serve as tubes for tobacco pipes and for other similar 

 uses. There are also two broad-leaved Gamalotes of the same 

 genus. Of grasses frequent in the hot plains I noted only 

 Dactyloctf nium . Egyptiacum and Paspalum conju^atum. 



Cyperacec?, \. This order is scarce, both in individuals and 

 species. The half-dozen species observed belong chiefly to 

 Scleria and Isolepis. 



Aracci.?, 4. As abundant and varied as in the forests of 

 the plains. An arborescent species, called Casimin by the 

 inhabitants, grows everywhere, even on hills where there is little 

 moisture. The stems reach 10 feet, and are sometimes thicker 

 than the thigh, though so soft that a very slight stroke oi 3 

 cutlass suffices to sever them. The small spatlies are fascicled 

 in the axils of the leaves, but of all that I opened the contents 

 were so injured by earwigs and other insects that it was impos- 

 sible to ascertain the structure of the flowers. . . . Species of 

 Anthurium and Philodcndron are frequent, and their deeply-cloven 

 or perforated leaves often assume grotesque forms. One very 

 beautiful climbing Aroidea, with shaggy petioles and leaves 

 streaked with deep violet above, purple beneath, I could n 

 find in flower. 



