List of the Plants of Chile. 95 
which they sow, and weed carefulky the plant, and afterwards the 
ears. This last operation would be facilitated by making parallel 
furrows about two yards apart, as in this way one could enter easily 
into the sown part without injury to the field. ‘The Vallico, in place 
of being cut, should be torn up by the roots, and its sheaves should 
be mined out of the reach of any cultivated place. Its grain is very 
injurious: bread which contains it intoxicates, causes vertigo, nau- 
sea and a torpor of the limbs. Jt has been the cause of many epi- 
demics. Negligence is in a great measure the cause of so many 
evils. ‘There is an opinion prevalent here, that wheat sown in a wet 
season and in humid soil, will degenerate and become Vallico. I 
knew several proprietors and agriculturists, who were desirous of per- 
suading me that in certain parts the wheat disappeared altogether. 
All supported their assertions by experiments performed under their 
own eyes. This prejudice is so gross as not to merit refutation. My 
reply was to ask whether cabbages changed to radishes, and whether - 
beans (porotos) ever became lentils (/enteas). When we come to 
speak of tillage, of manure, and of different seed-times, we will en- 
deavor to prove that this pretended anomaly, with | many | rs, can= 
not be satisfactorily explained without the aid of a precise or definite 
) ‘of cultivation, and of philosophical principles on which are 
founded those of vegetation. 
Lorantus, L. ‘The three species which I have met are known 
without distinction by the vulgar term quintral. The most common 
of all isthe L. Tetrandrus, R. and Pav. It grows on almost every 
tree ; its Mowers are of a magnificent red color. It is not mentioned 
in the Species Plantarum of Sprengel. Perhaps it is a synonym 
of the DB. Lucarquensis, H. B. and Kunth, although Stendel admits 
them as two distinct species. The quintral de quisco grows exclu- 
sively on the stalks of the Cactus Peruvianus, L., oitiaes it is very 
common. Its flowers are the same, but always small, contracted, 
and absolutely without leaves. It is without doubt the L. aphyllus, 
Miers. A third, which 1 believe to be new, is a parasite on the 
branches of the thorn in the woods of 'Taguatagua. The form of its 
leaves distinguishes it at once from the first ; its berries are of a dif- 
ferent color. Not having seen the flower, I do not know whether it 
belongs to the same division. Nevertheless I will call it L. lineari- 
folius. "The quintral yields a beautiful black dye which is frequent- 
ly used by the people of the country. From the first is prepared. a 
bird-lime which is used for catching birds. ‘The same use is made 
of that which is extracted from the Chilca. 
