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338
NOTES OF A BOTANIST
carpus). It climbs to the tops of the Algarrobos, and often hangs
therefrom in dense masses. It has heart-shaped stellate-pubescent
leaves and panicles of minute green flowers, which persist on the
enclosed black utricle. A stout parasitical Loranthus, with small
yellowish flowers, often forms large bushes on the Algarrobo, and
the tree whereon it has established
generally ends by destroying
itself.
A far handsomer tree than the Algarrobo sometimes grows
where there is rather more moisture than
along with it, especially
usual ; this is the Charan (Caesalpinia). It is a widely-spreading
tree, often branched from the very base, and the shining reddish
bark is being constantly renewed. It has exceedingly graceful
bipinnate foliage roseate at the tips of the branches panicles
of yellow flowers, spotted with red, and thick deep-purple pods,
which are extensively used in tanning.
The Azota-Cristo or Whip-Christ (Parkinsonia aculeata), so
called from its excessively long pendulous leaves, from whose
thong-like rachis the small leaflets often fall some but still more uncommon-looking than
away, is less hand-
the Charan, and it
is also much rarer in this region. It reappears in the Antilles.
A few other trees are occasionally met with, such as a
Calliandra, conspicuous for its numerous flowers green tinged
with rose out of which hang the long, silky, straw-coloured
stamens, and for its curled scarlet pods ; two Acacias, one of
them the widely-dispersed A. Farnesiana ; a Maytenus, which is
especially abundant at the mouth of the Chira, and is common
enough along the coast of Ecuador as far north as the Equator ;
and the Oberal ( Varronia rotundifolia\ a solanaceous tree or shrub,
with numerous bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers and white
berries, abounding in a viscid juice, which is used by the dusky
beauties of Guayaquil to straighten out their hair and hide its
natural crispness. . . .
The trees mentioned above as belonging to the desert grow
also in the valley, and far more luxuriantly there, but generally
scattered along the outer margin of the Algarrobo belt, especially
wherever the soil is much impregnated with salt. The Zapote de
perro bears a large berry, not unlike a smallish melon in size,
shape, and the alternating green and white streaks. Its taste is
disagreeable, and I have not seen it touched by any animal,
although it is said to be eaten by dogs (as its name implies), and
also by foxes and goats. The Vichaya, a dense growing bush,
with oval hoary leaves, has yellow berries the size of a damson,
containing a few stony seeds involved in a mawkish sweet pulp.
Another Capparis, which scrambles up into the trees, also grows
here, but rarely ;
it is much more frequent near Guayaquil, as is
also the Vichaya, which is there called Cuchuchu. In fact, all the
trees and shrubs hitherto mentioned (with one or two exceptions)