1952] 



PLANT HUNTING IN ECUADOR 



21 



"Gramatica teorico-practica y vocabulario de la lengua Jibara** (Quito, 1938). 

 This will explain the need for extended notes on certain place-names locating our 

 collections in the Oriente Jivaro is not a simple, "primitive" language; it has a 

 highly complex grammar and is replete with fine nuances of meaning depending on 

 inflection and the differences in word endings. 



The altitudes and distances are sometimes given in metric and at other times 

 in English units. Where Ecuadorean maps or the Society's 1/m map were used as 

 a basis of reference, the distances and altitudes are in the metric system. Where 

 distances were taken along roads during travel by Jeep, the speedometer readings 

 in miles were used Of the various altimeters available to me, not one was cali- 

 brated in meters; therefore to avoid errors incident to conversion, the altitudes in 

 feet were recorded in the field and carried through the notes and onto the labels. 

 For some reason, passing storms in the equatorial Andes do not produce the 

 marked effect on barometric pressures which one expects; this was noted as early 

 as the time of La Condamine, in Andean Ecuador ca. 1735-1743. Therefore, if 

 properly calibrated at some known point of reference from time to time, field aner- 

 oids are amply accurate for the purposes of plant collecting in this region. 



The alphabetized list of obscure place names, or those which need amplifica- 

 tion or correction follows. 



Alpachaca, Cordillera de— The Allpacha Silvan of the 1/m map. The Pan American 

 Highway (q v.) heads roughly S-SW from Cumbe, follows the length of the 

 Cord, de Alpachaca, and crosses the Rio Leon just north of Oha, thereby 

 missing the towns of Nabon and Cochapata. 



Ambocas, Rio— Apparently misspelled as "Rio Ambarcas" on 1/m map. 



Banos—Two places of this name appear on the labels, one in Prov. Tungurahua 

 along the Rio Pastaza, the other in Prov. Azuay SW of Cuenca. 



Bucay — A town of considerable size on the Quito-Guayaquil railroad at the foot of 

 the western escarpment of the Cordillera Occidental. It has replaced Huigra 

 as the important place where the trains from Guayaquil are broken up and a 

 few cars each are double-headed up the Canon of the Rio Chanchan to Si- 

 bambe and over the "Devil's Nose" switchbacks to the uplands, where they 

 are remade into regular size. Trails in the area follow no regular pattern; as 

 a result we never knew just which province we were in since Bucay is lo- 

 cated almost at the junction of Guayas, Bolivar, Chimborazo, and Cahar. In 

 any event, for Nos. 3640-3851, all were taken within a day's walk of Bucay 



Cajanuma, Nudo de — "Cross range" about 7 km. S of Loja, easily located on 1/m 

 map by "Paso Cajanuma." 



Canillones, Tambo — Shelter house on new trail between Loja and Zamora, on 

 Oriente side of range. 



Castillo, Paramo del — The paramo on the crest of the Cord Oriental on either 

 side of the trail from El Pan to Mendez (Map 1). The Oriente side of the 

 paramo is marked by the starkly uplifted, almost spire-like dark rock which, 

 castle-shaped, gives the paramo its name; this rocky peak also is known as 

 Cerro Negro. 



Carboncillo, Paramo de— On the Loja-Azuay border between Saraguro and Oha. 



The 1/m map has the province boundary running up the valley of the Rio de 



Oha; a semi-official Ecuadorean map has it to the SW, following the divide 



between this river and the Rio Paquishapa. 

 Cerro Negro, Tambo — Just below paramo del Castillo, Oriente side of range on 



trail from Sevilla de Oro to Mendez; Map 1. 



