124 
NEW  KIND  OP  MATICO. 
which  they  were  originally  attached  to  the  stem,  and  are  com- 
monly somewhat  rough,  or  more  or  less  hairy  or  pubescent. 
They  have  a  somewhat  membranous  texture.  Their  upper 
surface  is  dark-green,  opaque,  and  commonly  more  or  less 
rough,  although  in  some  specimens  they  are  nearly  smooth ; 
they  are  without  hairs,  and  have  from  four  to  six  somewhat 
sunken  veins,  arising  alternately  on  each  side  of  the  midrib, 
and  passing  upwards  parallel  to,  and  approaching  each  other 
above,  and  ultimately  terminating  at  the  margins.  Towards  the 
base  are  several  other  smaller  veins,  which  pass  at  once  to  the 
margins  of  the  leaf.  The  under  surface  is  pale-green,  with 
prominent  light-colored  veins,  which  in  number  and  direction 
correspond  to  the  veins  above ;  these  divide  more  or  less,  and 
give  a  corresponding,  more  or  less  reticulated  character  to  the 
surface.  There  are  commonly  no  hairs  between  the  ramifica- 
tions of  the  veins  (although  in  some  leaves  these  may  be  found)  ; 
but  the  veins  themselves  are  usually  more  or  less  pubescent, 
and  in  some  cases  very  evidently  so. 
The  stalks  are  striated,  more  or  less  compressed,  somewhat 
rough  from  the  presence  of  minute  tuberosities  on  the  surface, 
and  are  furnished  at  intervals  with  prominent  nodes. 
The  flower-spikes  are  slender,  of  a  cylindrical  shape,  yellow- 
ish or  brownish  in  color,  closely  covered  with  minute  flowers, 
more  or  less  hooked,  curved,  or  twisted,  and  three  or  more 
inches  in  length. 
It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  characteristics,  that  the  new 
kind  of  matico  may  be  at  once  distinguished  from  the  officinal 
and  old  kind  of  matico,  by  the  leaves,  etc.,  being  in  a  less  com- 
pressed state  than  in  it ;  by  their  more  fibrous  nature,  which 
makes  them  more  difficult  to  reduce  to  powder ;  by  their 
upper  surface  not  being  so  tessellated  or  rough;  and,  gen- 
erally, by  the  almost  entire  absence  on  the  under  surface  of 
pubescence,  and  in  all  cases,  far  less  pubescent  character. 
Hence  the  tessellated  upper  surface,  and  very  pubescent  char- 
acter of  the  lower  surface  of  the  leaves  constituting  true  matico, 
are  at  once  sufficient  to  distinguish  them  from  the  leaves  of 
the  new  kind  of  matico. — Lond.  Pharm.  Journ.,  Jan.,  1864. 
