44 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



the British. This is an interesting fact in connection with the dis- 

 tribution of plants. I understand that the flora of the continent of 

 Europe has much in common with that of our own country — in 

 fact, that all our British species are also continental, and that there 

 is a strong family likeness between our flora and that of North 

 America. But the case is quite different with respect to Chile; 

 there, the vegetation has an unfamiliar appearance. Of course, 

 many of the natural orders and genera are the same as here, but 

 the species are different. And this difference is not owing to any 

 peculiarity in the soil or the climate, as is shown by the rapidity 

 with which European plants spread themselves, when once in- 

 troduced. Of these I may mention a few. Our common bind- 

 weed (Convolvulus arvensis), is now one of the worst Chilian 

 weeds. Mentha piperita and M. citrata, the Yerba-buena of 

 the Chilenos, were introduced by the Spaniards to season their 

 dishes, and are now found in every damp place in the country. 

 Hemlock (Conium maculatum), now so common that it is used to 

 thatch booths, conies from a few seeds which an apothecary had 

 sent to him from Spain, fifty or sixty years ago. Trifolium repens 

 (white clover), is now common on the hills behind Valparaiso; 

 Viola odorata (the scented violet), grows by the sides of streams, 

 and little boys sell bunches of them in the streets! I saw the 

 dandelion for the first time in June, 1872. Dr. Philippe had 

 seen it six months earlier, but by December I saw it growing in 

 the streets of Santiago. I tried to introduce the field Daisy (Bellls 

 perennis), and got some seed sent to me from the West End Park. 

 It grew well enough and flowered, but did not spread. I suppose 

 it is extinct by this time. But the most remarkable introduction 

 of all is perhaps the Cardon — that is the Great Thistle (Gynara 

 carduiiculus), a plant from the south of Europe. It now covers 

 large tracts in Chile, and is, I believe, the same thistle that has 

 overrun the plains of the Argentine Republic. 



In addition to the introduced species, there are a number of 

 cosmopolites, such as Lemna minor and L. gibba, Typha latifolia, 

 Arundo phrar/mites, 'Hymenopliyllum twnbridgense, Cyslopteris 

 fragilis, Funaria hygrometrica. 



Having now mentioned some of the more noticeable features of 

 the Chilian Flora, namely — 1st, the abundance of bushes; 2nd, 

 the fact that nearly all the woody plants in the central provinces 

 are evergreen; 3rd, the absence of a carpet of grass; 4th, the 



