Flora Medica

CINCHONACEJE.leafless thyrse, whose branches are rather erect, and merely downy, notwoolly. Calyx-tube covered with very close short tomentum; limbpubescent, smooth at the edges, with oval imbricating obtuse teeth.Corolla tomentose externally, with a tube scarcely 4 times as long asthat of the calyx ;the limb quite smooth inside, except just at the edgeswhich are tomentose. Fruit smooth, often H inch long, narrower atthe base than the apex, smooth, slightly ribbed^ I have seen 2 certainspecimens of this in Mr. Lambert's herbarium, and 6 in that of Dr.Thomson. In the latter collection there also exists a branch of a plantvery much resembling this, but having the divaricating inflorescence andtomentose leaves of C. pubescens. I am unable to determine whether itis a variety, a species, or a hybrid production. It is what was describedin Mr. Lambert's illustration as the true C.magnifolia of the Fl.Peruv.;but it agrees neither with the figure nor description given in that work,nor with the mass of specimens so named, in the unarranged part ofMr. Lambert's herbarium. What is called C.caduciflora in Lambert's illustrationsis the true C. magnifolia, and is quite different from what M. Bonplandintended by the former name. According to Ruiz this is one ofthe species known under the name of Cascarillo de Flor de Azahar, andnot met with in commerce, except in the form of extract, which hasbeen found of excellent quality.It derives its name from the resemblancebetween the smell of its flowers and those of the Orange, andis one of those discovered in the kingdom of Santa Fe by Mutis.R. and P. The same authors say it is the C. oblongifolia ofMutis ; it is entirely different from the plant called by that name byMr. Lambert. Ruiz in his MSS. describes the bark as being of indifferentquality, of little value in the market ;he says it is the Qui?ia roxaof Santa Fe ;and consequently the red bark of Carthagena, from whichport it is shipped for Europe. This has been questioned by Mr.Lambert, but proved to be true, by Bergen, who found it to be the badbark known in commerce under the name of Quinquina nova. Thesource of the valuable Red bark of Lima, or Quina colorada is at presentunknown.Po'ppig found near Cuchero a Corteza de Azahar which he refers tothis species, and which he describes thus : "A very stately tree, withunusually large white flowers, diffusing a most delightful scent, like thatof orange blossoms. To this bark is never applied the name of Cascarilla,that is, Fever Bark, in its strict sense, as the ignorant observerdoes not consider the Azahar to be a Cinchona. It is like, except thestem, a young oak, with bark 4 or 5 lines thick, and woody which, for;the latter reason, does not roll itself into tubes, possesses little astringency,and is never gathered for sale : still it is said to be applied toofficinal uses occasionally in Europe." He adds that it has beenchiefly employed in the adulteration of the superior sorts of bark(a very common practice). It however bore too much resemblanceto Oak-bark, and was so heavy and easily distinguishable by itsvery sharp and disagreeably bitter flavour from the fine aromatic tasteof the genuine kind, that the imposition could not prevail to a verygreat extent.846. C. caduciflora BonpL in. pi. cequinoct. i. 167. C. magnifolia1. c. 1 36. t. 39. Near the town of Jaen de BracamorosHumb. and BonpLI have have seen no specimens of this plant and do not attempt to de-424