THE CINCHONA PLANT 



CINCHONA 



CALISAYA 



Species and Varieties 



Agri., 1892, 221-9 ; Heuz6, Lea PI. Indust., 1895, iv., 324-34 ; Holmes, Cat. 

 Med. PL in Mua. Pharm. Soc. Ot. Brit., 1896, 69-81 ; Lotsy, Gouver, Kinaon- 

 derneming de Local, van het Alcaloid, 1898 ; Broekhuizen, De Kinacult., 1898 ; 

 Reimers, Lea Quinquinas de Cult., 1900 ; Semler, Trap. Agrik., 1900, ii., 242-77 ; 

 Jumelle, Lea Cult. Colon. (Indust.), 1901, 226-48 ; Ann. Repts. Qovt. Cinchona 

 Plant. Benq. and Mad. up to 1904 ; Moral and Material Progress and Con- 

 dition, India, 206 ; etc., etc.] 



Species, Varieties and Races. There are about 30 to 40 species of 

 Cinchona, and also numerous hybrids, varieties, and special cultivated 

 races. Indeed so readily do the species cross and sport that it is im- 

 possible to grow two or more side by side and obtain from them uniformly 

 pure seed. On this account grave doubts have been entertained re- 

 garding the specific values of many well-known forms. The commercial 

 barks of to-day are obtained from about a dozen forms of which C. Cali- 

 saya and Ledaeriana are the most highly valued. To these would 

 have to be added the special hybrid that appeared in Sil^kim some few 

 years ago, and is now spoken of as " the hybrid." The following brief 

 abstract of the more important species may be useful : 



Calisaya 

 Bark. 



Sikkim. 



Quinine. 



Ledgeri- 

 ana. 



Java Stock. 



High 



Percentage of 

 Quinine. 



C. Calisaya, W eddell ; The CALISAYA BARK, YELLOW BARK, etc. 

 A very variable species with a trunk, when full grown, twice as thick 

 as a man's body. Largely grown in Sikkim, at moderate elevations 

 (1,500 to 3,000 feet), and one of the most valuable of all forms, but is difficult 

 to cultivate. The seed of this form was originally sent to Europe by 

 Weddell. It was raised in Paris in 1851 and one plant was presented 

 to the Dutch, by whom it was successfully conveyed to Java ; and in 1873 

 Dr. van Gorkum reported that it was the chief form grown in Java its 

 most important alkaloid being QUININE. It was the species Markham 

 specially charged himself with the task of securing in Bolivia and Peru. 

 But it has many varieties, one of which is of very special merit, viz : 



Var. Ledgeriana. The story of the origin of this form is very 

 interesting. Mr. C. Ledger was travelling in South America on behalf of 

 Australia in search of an animal resembling the alpaca sheep. His servant 

 mentioned to him that it was difficult for collectors to procure the seed 

 of the finest quality of cinchona because of the suspicion in which all 

 persons interested in that drug were held. Accordingly Mr. Ledger said 

 he would like to get some of the best seed, and in due time he was supplied. 

 This was taken to Europe and sold. The major portion went to Java, 

 but a small quantity found its way to the Nilgiri hills and a still smaller 

 portion to Sikkim. The Java seed yielded 20,000 plants, the Nilgiri 

 either failed to germinate or was neglected and lost, and the Sikkim grew 

 and in time became the parent stock of the plants in the present Bengal 

 plantations. In 1880 Mr. Gammie reported of Sikkim that he had 10 

 acres under Ledf/eriana, and last year's report shows that out of the 

 total 3,306,763 trees in the Government of Bengal's plantations, 2,566,057 

 were Ledgeriana. This plant was subsequently introduced into the 

 South Indian plantations, and flourishes well in the Wynaad at 3,000 feet 

 altitude. It yields a high percentage of quinine, and is deservedly the 

 most popular of all stocks. But it is comparatively a small tree, and the 

 yield of bark correspondingly less than with the larger forms. In Java 

 some of the richest stocks are never allowed to seed, but are grafted on 

 to other seedlings of this variety, and the high-yielding forms thus care- 

 fully developed and conserved. The same plant taken to India will, 

 however, yield less than half the regular produce in Java. 



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