Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

284 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP.
ramuli, from which hang almost vertically the large, Pothos-like,
coriaceous, shining, deep blue-green leaves. A multicaul Artanthe,
15 to 25 feet high, springs up abundantly in the pastures, where
trees of it grow at such regular distances, and are so conspicuous
by their yellow-green foliage, that one would suppose them planted.
Their ashes afford an excellent lye for soap. On stones by the
Rio San Antonio grows a stout Peperomia, i to 2 feet high,
subramose, and putting forth axillary fascicles of slender white
spadices, which exhale a strong odour of aniseed. When in the
midst of a dense patch of it, the scent is almost stifling, though
pleasant enough at a short distance. Peppers are equally plentiful
in the plains and throughout the wooded slopes of the Andes.
Lauracetf, 3. All small trees, not exceeding 40 feet; but a
great many more were observed, including some of the loftiest
trees of the forest.
Leguminosa (Subordo Papi/ionacecc\ 3. Several others were
observed, but either in poor state or inaccessible. Some of the
lofty trees with pinnate foliage, which were not seen in flower or
fruit, probably belong to this order. The commonest Papilionacere
is a Mucuna, with herbaceous twining stems, without tendrils, and
large yellow flowers. It is the first Mucuna I have seen in the
hills, but it is equally abundant by the river Guayaquil. Five
species of Erythrina were seen, two at Limon (one of them being
the same as that gathered at Puma-cocha) and the remaining three
by the Rio San Antonio. There are also two Phaseoli, one Dioclea,
and another Phaseolea with slender spikes of small pale yellow
flowers and hard scarlet seeds, of which I have not yet determined
the genus. An Indigofera, with small pink flowers, was
gathered at San Antonio, and the same is frequent in the plain of
Guayaquil.
Leguminosce (Subordo C