250 NOTES OF A BOTANIST chap. 
stinging herb with large white flowers of the order 
Loaseae. 
The Orchidese must not be forgotten : they 
were very numerous and in fine state, especially 
two large-flowered Odontoglossa, whose liana-like 
peduncles depended almost to the ground. There 
were also some Oncidia and Epidendra, and many 
curious things whose affinities I did not recognise, 
and which I have not yet examined. 
From Llalla I dispatched my men to the 
adjacent paramos on that side of Azuay, with 
instructions to bring me everything they found in 
flower. They returned bringing a good many 
alpines, including some pretty Senecios not else- 
where seen, a red-flowered caespitose Werneria, a 
small Crucifera, an Alstroemeria, a Gnaphalium, 
but especially a beautiful Gentiana, allied to G. 
cermta, and instead of having only one or two 
pendulous flowers, as in that species, bearing a 
profusion of erect pyriform red flowers. 
[In a letter to Sir William Hooker from Ambato 
(Oct. lo, 1859), the following remark on the 
vegetation of the two slopes of the Andes is of 
much interest : — 
" As regards the general vegetation, the Amazon 
side of the Andes is incomparably richer than the 
Pacific side. In the former a perpetual spring 
reigns — sun and rain divide each day, rain pre- 
dominating in what is called winter and sun in 
summer ; but in the latter the ground gets burnt 
up with seven months of dry weather, and soaked 
with five months of continual rain. You will 
therefore be prepared to hear that in my late 
