List of the Plants of Chile. 95 



which they sow, and weed carefuHy 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 burned 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. It 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 F'allico. 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 {iiorotos) ever became lentils (Jentejas). 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 others, can- 

 not be satisfactorily explained without the aid of a precise or definite 

 knowledge of cultivation, and of philosophical principles on which are 

 founded those of vegetation. 



LdOrantus, L. The three species which I have met are known 

 without distinction by the vulgar term quintral. The most common 

 of all is the L. Tetrandrus, R. and Pav. It grows on almost every 

 tree : its flowers are of a magnificent red color. It is not mentioned 

 in the Species Plaidarum of Sprengel. Perhaps it is a synonym 

 of the L. 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., where it is very 

 common. Its flowers are the same, but always small, contracted, 

 and absolutely without leaves. It is ^vithout doubt the L. aphyllus, 

 Miers. A third, which I 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. 



