40  ON  THE  TREE  PRODUCING  RED  CINCHONA  BARK. 
In  reference  to  this  specimen,  Dr.  Weddell  remarks  in  the 
Bulletin  de  la  Society  Botanique  de  France,  tome  ii.,  p.  438: — 
"  It  seems  to  me  now  demonstrated  that  the  tree  to  which  I  applied  in 
my  Histoire  des  Quinquinas  the  name  which  I  have  mentioned,  is  really 
that  which  produces  the  officinal  red  bark.  My  hypothesis  is  confirmed 
by  an  interesting  discovery  made  quite  recently  by  Mr.  Howard,  in  the 
herbarium  of  Sir  W.  Hooker.  It  is  that  of  a  flowering  specimen  of  Cin- 
chona, bearing  in  the  handwriting  of  Pavon  the  provincial  name  which  is 
now  generally  known  to  be  that  of  'red  bark/  Cascarilla  colorada  de 
Huaranda. 
"  Mr.  Howard  having  obligingly  communicated  to  me  the  figure  which 
he  had  caused  to  be  drawn  of  this  specimen,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  seeing 
in  it  the  image  of  my  C.  erythroderma.  It  is  true  that  the  differences*  which 
I  mentioned  between  the  bark  of  my  tree  and  that  which  is  commonly  met 
with  in  commerce  exist  still  as  before,  but  I  have  found  intermediate  forms 
which  so  perfectly  connect  these  two  types,  that  there  no  longer  exists  iu 
my  mind  any  doubt  concerning  their  identity. 
"  There  may  be  a  doubt,  on  the  contrary,  as  to  the  rank  which  should 
be  attributed  to  the  plant  which  produces  them.  Should  it  still  be  attached 
to  Cinchona  ovata  as  a  variety,  or  should  it  be  raised  to  the  rank  of  a 
species?  It  is  a  point  which  can  scarcely  be  finally  decided  till  we  know 
its  fruits.  Whatever  it  may  be,  the  discovery  made  by  our  colleague  Mr. 
Howard,  of  a  flowering  branch  of  the  Q.  de  Huaranda,  has  certainly  made 
a  great  step  towards  the  solution  of  the  problem,  and  has  appeared  to  me 
worthy  the  attention  of  the  Society." 
I  may  add,  in  reference  to  the  piece  of  the  bark  of  (7.  erythro- 
derma (0.  ovato  var.y  erethroderma)  given  me  by  Dr.  Weddell, 
that  it  agrees  in  minute  particulars  with  that  of  commercial  red 
bark.  The  color  of  the  denuded  derm,  the  indentations  upon 
this,  and  the  impression  of  the  cross  crack,  forming  a  ring  at 
distant  intervals,  also  the  character  of  the  periderm, — all  these 
correspond ;  but  the  color  is  not  fully  equal  to  the  finest  red 
bark,  and  it  is  perhaps  rather  more  dense  and  woody  ;  but  even 
the  bark  of  the  branch  and  trunk  of  the  same  tree  vary  in  these 
particulars. 
The  Huaranda  bark  in  the  British  Museum,  which  both  M. 
Guibourt  and  myself  regard  as  genuine  "red  bark,"  has  also 
peculiarities  such  as  might  mark  a  tree  grown  in  less  favorable 
soil.  The  leaves  and  small  branches  of  my  red  bark  tree  give 
the  impression  of  luxuriant  vegetation.    That  of  Pavon's  speci- 
*  "  The  texture  of  my  bark  is  more  woody  than  that  of  the  typical  red  bark." 
