48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Botanic Gardens. The berries are very good, and are made into 

 jam, There are 44 species of Myrtaceae in Chile, some of them 

 very beautiful shrubs, especially when in flower. 



Loranthus. — Four species. These are all parasitical, and, like 

 the mistletoe, have exceedingly sticky berries. 



Litrea venonosa. — This was one of the first plants I heard of in 

 Valparaiso. "Have you seen 'Litre'?" Then I was told of its 

 wonderful properties. If you touch it, or sit under its shade, your 

 face swells and turns red, as if you had erysipelas. I have heard 

 of school children being kept at home for weeks because they had 

 been smitten by "Litre." The cure for the eruption is a poultice 

 of the leaves of "Mayten." However, I treated the "Litre" like 

 any other bush — forced my way through thickets of it, broke off 

 branches, collected its seeds, and rubbed my hands with its leaves, 

 but all without result. The explanation given was that it did 

 not affect every one alike. Still, I believe there must be some 

 truth in what everybody says, as in the natural order to which it 

 belongs — the Anacardiaceae — there are plants possessing very hurt- 

 ful properties. It forms a dusky, handsome shrub, and in favour- 

 able situations becomes a timber tree. 



Maytenus chilensis. — This is a more graceful tree than our 

 birch. If you imagine a cross between the boxwood and the 

 weeping willow, you will have some notion of its general appearance. 

 It was introduced into Britain in 1829, and Loudon remarks that 

 it would probably become a hardy shrub, but I have never seen it 

 at home. 



Quillaja saponaria, " Quillai." — This is another fine evergreen 

 tree, with clear shining leaves, common in the central provinces. 

 Its bark is now largely exported to France for scouring wool. The 

 Chilenos use it instead of soap for washing the head, and some say 

 that to it they are indebted for their luxuriant hair. 



Of the Leguminosae there are 269 Chilian species, and many 

 are of forms altogether wanting in Britain. All our native species 

 have the papilionaceous corolla, like the pea or the broom, with 

 the stamens united, but in the Chilian Flora there is not only 

 this form but three others. — 1st, the genus Adesmia has the 

 papilionaceous corolla with the stamens free; 2nd, Caesalpinia, 

 Cassia, etc., have the flowers regular, or nearly so; and 3rd, the 

 Acacias have quite regular flowers, with an indefinite number of 

 stamens. 



