284 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



ramuli, from which hang almost vertically the large, Pothos-like, 

 coriaceous, shining, deep blue-green leaves. A multicaul Artanthe, 

 15 to 25 feet high, springs up abundantly in the pastures, where 

 trees of it grow at such regular distances, and are so conspicuous 

 by their yellow-green foliage, that one would suppose them planted. 

 Their ashes afford an excellent lye for soap. On stones by the 

 Rio San Antonio grows a stout Peperomia, i to 2 feet high, 

 subramose, and putting forth axillary fascicles of slender white 

 spadices, which exhale a strong odour of aniseed. When in the 

 midst of a dense patch of it, the scent is almost stifling, though 

 pleasant enough at a short distance. Peppers are equally plentiful 

 in the plains and throughout the wooded slopes of the Andes. 



Lauracetf, 3. All small trees, not exceeding 40 feet; but a 

 great many more were observed, including some of the loftiest 

 trees of the forest. 



Leguminosa (Subordo Papi/ionacecc\ 3. Several others were 

 observed, but either in poor state or inaccessible. Some of the 

 lofty trees with pinnate foliage, which were not seen in flower or 

 fruit, probably belong to this order. The commonest Papilionacere 

 is a Mucuna, with herbaceous twining stems, without tendrils, and 

 large yellow flowers. It is the first Mucuna I have seen in the 

 hills, but it is equally abundant by the river Guayaquil. Five 

 species of Erythrina were seen, two at Limon (one of them being 

 the same as that gathered at Puma-cocha) and the remaining three 

 by the Rio San Antonio. There are also two Phaseoli, one Dioclea, 

 and another Phaseolea with slender spikes of small pale yellow 

 flowers and hard scarlet seeds, of which I have not yet deter- 

 mined the genus. An Indigofera, with small pink flowers, was 

 gathered at San Antonio, and the same is frequent in the plain of 

 Guayaquil. 



Leguminosce (Subordo C<zsalpinie(z\ i. This fine tribe, so 

 abundant in the Amazonian plain, becomes scarce the moment 

 we enter the hills, and is very poorly represented in the Bark 

 woods. My specimens were gathered from the only tree I saw 

 of an obscure-looking Cassia. There is, however, one very fine 

 Caesalpinieous tree, extending up the hills to 4000 feet, but much 

 more abundant at 2000 feet. The trunk grows to from 20 to 

 60 feet, and the branches each bear a coma of very long, elegant, 

 pinnate, pendulous leaves, like those of a Brownea. . . . 



Lc^inniiiDsce. (Subordo Mimosece\ 4. Three Ingje and one 

 Callianclra. Other two Inga; were seen, without flowers. Mimosa 

 asperata, perhaps the commonest of all plants on the muddy 

 shores of the Amazon and the river Guayaquil, struggles up the 

 Rio San Antonio to the lower limit of the growth of the Red 

 Bark, but never seems to flower at that elevation. 



Rosacece, i. A Rubus, with numerous small flowers, apparently 

 distinct from R. Urticcefolius, Poir., which I gathered in Maynas 



