I 
418       PRESENT  STATE  OF  OUR  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CINCHONA. 
ther  investigation  whether  there  may  not,  as  stated  by  Dr.  Kars- 
ten,  be  a  subgenus,  forming  a  point  of  transition  between  Cin- 
chona and  Ladenbergia.  However  this  point  may  be  decided  by 
botanists,  the  writer  thinks  that  a  considerable  section  of  the 
CincJtoncB  are  allied  in  their  chemical  and  also  in  their  micro- 
scopical characteristics  to  the  Ladenhergios,  whilst,  on  the  other 
hand,  some  of  the  latter  seem  to  reciprocate  this  alliance. 
The  writer  does  not,  however,  regard  the  "  transitions  "  as 
insensible,  but  rather  as  by  well-marked  and  permanent  interme- 
diate forms :  he  looks  upon  the  Cinchona?  not  as  he  would  upon 
the  Salices,  for  instance,  in  which  latter  family  it  seems  imma- 
terial how  many  or  how  few  are  the  number  of  species  or  varieties 
recognized,  since  a  Willow  is  still  the  same  plant  under  whatever 
form,  and  it  was  supposed  that  this  was  the  case  with  the  Cin- 
chonas when  the  genus  was  first  established.  The  Quina  primi- 
tiva  was  supposed  to  have  a  kind  of  recognized  typical  character, 
and  a  superiority  which  was  claimed  as  distinguishing  the  bark 
of  Peru,  or  of  New  Grenada,  as  viewed  by  the  advocates  of  the 
products  of  these  different  regions.  It  was  thought  sufficient  to 
distinguish  the  few  varying  kinds  of  cinchonaceous  plants  that 
were  at  first  recognized  by  the  prevalent  form  of  the  leaf  as 
condifolia,  lancifolia,  ohlongifolia,  ovalifolia,  etc.,  thus  confound- 
ing together  even  different  genera  through  a  premature  classifi- 
cation. 
This  systematizing  tendency  has  since,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
writer,  led  to  the  grouping  together  of  Cinchona  essentially  dif- 
ferent, since  the  reality  much  more  resembles  what  might  be  the 
case,  if  there  existed  amongst  the  varieties  of  Salix  some  which 
closely  approximated,  in  the  timber  and  the  bark,  to  the  Oak 
and  others,  which  in  these  respects  counterfeited  the  Hazel,  or  as 
if  a  variety  were  to  surprise  us  by  producing  Quinine  instead  of 
Salicine. 
Thus  the  ovate  or  cordate  or  lanceolate  form  of  leaf  may 
appear  to  link  together  species  of  cinchona,  which,  on  more 
profound  study,  may  be  seen  to  be  entirely  diverse  in  their 
character. 
The  writer  may  be  permitted  to  illustrate  his  meaning  as  to 
>  premature  attempts  at  systematic  nomenclature  by  reference  to 
