4:74      ABSTRACT  OF  A  REPORT  ON  THE  PITAYO  CINCHONAS. 
could  live  in  such  a  climate,  nor,  even  if  planted  in  similar  situa- 
tions, could  the  trees  ripen  their  seeds,  for  a  certain  amount  of 
dry  weather  and  sunshine  is  necessary  for  the  ripening  of  the 
capsules,  and  for  their  bursting  in  order  that  the  seeds  may  fall 
to  the  earth.  The  Cinchona  climate  is  certainly  moist  for  about 
six  or  eight  months  of  the  year,  and  in  cultivating  this  plant  it 
is  expedient  to  seek  very  humid  situations,  because  the  mountains 
of  India  do  not  appear  to  receive  the  same  amount  of  moisture  as 
the  lofty  elevations  in  America.  Nevertheless  it  will  be  under- 
stood that  the  natural  climate  of  the  commercial  Cinchona  has 
been  misrepresented  by  most  South  American  travellers.  The 
Pitayo  Cinchona  differs  essentially  from  the  0.  lancifolia  of  Kar- 
sten  in  being  a  more  slender  tree,  often  found  formerly  from  60 
to  70  feet  in  height,  but  rarely  more  than  18  inches  or  2  feet  in 
diameter,  with  very  slender  branches,  bearing  small  lanceolate 
leaves,  which  before  falling  always  assume  a  purple  or  deep  red 
color.  The  0.  lancifolia  to  which  Karsten  refers  extends  over 
a  wider  tract  of  country  than  any  other  Cinchona  on  the  Andes. 
This  tree,  however,  is  much  more  massive,  and  bears  considerably 
larger  leaves  than  those  of  the  Pitayo  Cinchona.  This  large- 
leaved  Cinchona  inhabits  the  western  slopes  of  the  Cordillera 
Orientale,  in  situations  presenting  conditions  favorable  for  its 
development,  between  Pasto  and  the  city  of  Santa  Fe  de  Bogota  ; 
while  the  finer  kinds  of  Pitayo  bark  are  limited  to  a  few  square 
miles  of  steep  forest-covered  slopes  to  the  northward  of  the  vol- 
cano Purace,  which  belongs  properly  to  the  central  Cordillera. 
The  map  of  the  Cinchona  region  of  New  Granada  lately  made 
for  Dr.  Weddel,  is  very  incorrect.  It  represents  certain  tracts 
of  country  as  mountainous,  and  as  covered  with  Cinchona  forests, 
while  in  reality  they  are  hot  arenaceous  plants,  or  savannas  cover- 
ed with  low  spreading  leguminous  trees,  where  no  Cinchona  ever 
grew.  Karsten  states  that  the  bark  is  not  taken  from  the  roots 
of  the  Q.  lancifolia,  which,  in  most  instances,  is  true  ;  but  this  is 
not  the  case  with  that  of  Pitayo,- the  bark  from  the  roots  of  which 
is  much  more  valuable  than  that  from  the  trunks  or  branches. 
Further  he  asserts  that  the  0.  lancifolia  is  never  likely  to  become 
scarce,  and  that  the  continual  cutting  of  the  Cinchona  trees  will 
rather  augment  than  diminish  the  number  of  plants ;  and  this 
