Flora Medica

CINCHONA.smooth or hairy there; the uppermost, at the base of the inflorescence,shorter and blunter. Panicle loose, terminal, leafless with theupper divisions downy. Flowers the smallest in the genus exceptC. lancifolia. Calyx tomentose all over, with a short 5-toothed limb,scarcely at all altering in the fruit. Corolla tomentose, woolly insidethe limb. I have seen only two certain specimens of this very distinctand well-marked species; one in the Lambertian Herbarium and one inmy own, gathered in Peru by Mathews (No. 1953.). There is in theformer collection a second specimen from Pavon, marked C. micrantha,with obovate leaves and a small compact thyrse of flowers ;but it is tooimperfect to be determined satisfactorily. C. scrobiculata of Humboldtand Bonpland is unquestionably the true C. micrantha, -which thoseBotanists might well suppose to be a distinct species if they judgedfrom the imperfect description and uncharacteristic figure of the latterin the Flora Peruviana. Both Humboldt and Bonpland and Ruiz andPavon state that this iscommonly called CascarUlafina. The formersay that of all the species of Quina inhabiting the province of Jaen deBracamoros it is the most common and most esteemed. The inhabitantsof the town of Jaen, collect annually a great quantity of thebark which they send to the town of Picera, whence it is shipped toLima. Ruiz, in his MSS., admits its excellence, but declares that itis never found alone in commerce ; it is always mixed by the traders ofthe Provinces ofPanatahuas, Huamalies andHuanuco with other speciesIt is sometimes called Casc.fina de Chicoplaya. According to Poppig,who calls it Cascartila provinciana, the trees are of considerable circumference,and will frequently yield each 8 to 10 arrobas of dry bark;3 kinds of it are known in commerce, one of which called Pata de Gallinazois peeled from the young and upper branches. " Formerly theforeign merchants were prejudiced in its favour, and considered this asa fine sort, contrary to the opinion generally received in Peru. Probablythe thinness and less woody texture of the rind, with the difficultyof procuring it in large quantities, occasioned the former idea. Itsname, which signifies claw of the Black Vulture (Vultur Aura Linn.),arises from the blackish and radiated appearance caused by some speciesof Graphis, which generally grows uponit : the Pata de Gallaretamentioned by Ruiz and Pavon, the produce of Cinchona ovata,does not grow about Cnchero.". M. Reichel, who compared Poppig'sspecimens with those of Bergen, ascertained that Case, provinciana isthe Huanuco bark of commerce, and that the Pata de Gallinazo forms asmall portion of the so called Lima Bark of commerce. It is thereforethe origin of the Silver or Grey Cinchona of English commerce.830. C. nitida Fl. Peruv. ii. 50. 1. 191. Cascarillo officinalRuiz quinol. p. 56. Lofty mountains of the Andes in grovesin cold situations near Pampamarca, Chacahuassi, Casapi, Casapillo,Cayumba, Sapan, Cuchero, and other districts ;also onmountains in the provinces of Huamalies, Tarma and XauxaR. and P. ? Cuchero, Poppig.Every part of the foliage and branches perfectly smooth. Leavesthin, obovate-lanceolate, acute, slightly shining, tapering very regularlyand gradually into the petiole which is sometimes itwinged by almost toits base ;with deep ciliated pitsin the axils of the principal veins on theunder side. Branches of inflorescence almost entirely smooth, except4-13