Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

IN THE CINCHONA FORESTS 287
saw in tolerable state, but a good many more were observed,
on the whole about 30. Of plants peculiar to the warm and
temperate valleys of the Andes, never descending to the plain,
at least in this latitude, the following may be mentioned : Cinchona
succirubra and magnifolia, two Hameliae (one with larger
flowers than I have seen in any other species), a Gonzalea, and
Ritbia Relboun. Of genera abundant in the plains and rarely
climbing the hills are Randia, Uncaria, Nonatelia, Faramea, and
Cephaelis. Uncaria Guianensis, a twiner with formidable aculeiform
stipules, has a very remarkable distribution. I have thrice
at Para
met with it on the Atlantic side of the Andes, viz. first,
near the mouth of the Amazon ; secondly, towards the head of
the Orinoco and ; thirdly, on the hill of Lamas, in the Andes of
Maynas. In each of these three localities, so widely separated,
it occupies a very limited area. I again met with it about the
lower frontier of the Bark region, and on the rivers entering the
Gulf of it is Guayaquil so abundant as to form a serious obstruction
to navigation, especially in the upper part of their course, where
the current is rapid and canoes ascending the stream must necessarily
keep close inshore. ... Of plants allied to Cinchona, the most
remarkable is a fine epiphyte, resembling Buena and Hillia in the
large white salver-shaped odoriferous flowers. . . . There is also
a handsome tree, growing from 4000 feet upwards, perhaps allied
to Ltidenbergia, but with a curious bilamellate crest on the apex
of each segment of the corolla. I have previously gathered a
congener at Tarapoto, and another on Tunguragua. Two very fine
and closely-allied species of the tribe Gardenia; I can refer to no
described genus. One of them has leaves of immense size, near
a yard long, and they are aggregated at the apex of a usually
simple stem, so as to give it the appearance of a palm. The
moment I saw it, I recollected having observed the same or a
very similar tree near Sanlarem, where I could never find lkm< r-.
nor did I meet with it elsewhere on the Amazon.
Loranthaceu\ i. A Loranthus, with numerous small, yellow,
sweet-scented flowers, growing abundantly, especially on Inga
trees. There are many other species, but no large-flowered ours.
Aristolochiacece, i. Two Aristolochise jvcre seen, but in a
barren state. A third species, scarcely referable to Aristolochia,
was gathered with young flowers. None of the three were seen
climbing on the Red Bark tree.
Lobeliacece-) 3. --One Centmpogon ;m