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CH. xrx IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES 181
much more wood on it, at the same altitude, than
Chimborazo or Cotopaxi, or any other of the lofty
mountains I have seen. Its ascent begins from
my very door, but to get up to the snow-line and
make any collection there, would occupy at least
two or three days. When the rainy season, or, as
it is called here, "
tiempo de las nevadas," is fairly
over, I hope to attack Tunguragua in earnest.
The snow has been very low down, even into the
forest, but is now beginning to subside. I was
at first much hindered in my operations for want of
paper at Ambato I could get only white letter-
paper, very dear but I have now, through Mr.
Mocatta's kindness, got a stock of paper from
Guayaquil, and you may consider me in constant
work, though the rainy weather interferes rather
with collecting and drying. Ferns and mosses are
in full bloom and in great abundance flowers still
rather scarce. It must be from having been so
long among lofty trees that all herbaceous vegetation
has a weedy look to me, yet I have felt great
pleasure in renewing my acquaintance
with several
European genera among the humble plants ; such
are Ranunculus, Geranium, Alchemilla, Hypericuin,
Cerastium, Stellaria, Silene, Cardamine, Centtm-
culus, Tilkta, Hydrocotyle, Viola, Veronica, Valc-
riana, Medicago, Cytisus, and several others.
Species of these genera grow along with several
characteristic Peruvians- -Fuchsias, Calceolarias,
and most abundant of all a pretty Labiate shrub
(Gardoquia sp.) with copious reddish tubiform
ilowers. The arborescent vegetation, especially
towards its upper limit, is what most interests me ;
but very few trees are in (lower as yet, and amongst