50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



the Andean valleys there are still great trees of it. The timber is 

 very ornamental, and -would be valuable to the cabinetmaker if it 

 could be had in quantity. It flowers profusely, having beautiful 

 white bells; but the foliage is dingy and sticky. 



Of the Compositae there are 736 Chilian species, many of them 

 woody, such as Baccharis rosrnarinifolius, B. concava, Proustia 

 pyrifolia, B. jiungens, Senecio denticulatus, Flourensia thurifer. 



Mutisia, — Of this genus Loudon says, "Mutisia is an exceedingly 

 interesting genus of shrubby climbers, with leaves terminating in 

 tendrils, by the prehension of which the stems are supported. 

 M. latifolia represents a family of climbers so very different from 

 every other hitherto propagated in British gardens, that we cannot 

 but strongly recommend it for trial against every conservatory 

 wall." Darwin says that this is the only genus in the Compositae 

 which has tendrils. 



M. latifolia is given in Loudon, but it is very inferior in 

 beauty to M. subulata, whose flowers show like stars above the 

 bushes. Also in this species the leaves are reduced to a line, as 

 the name indicates, so that each seems a tendril. 



Cryptocaria peumus, "Peumo." — A very fine shrub, or tree, in 

 favourable situations. The fruit is eaten, but smells like castor-oil. 



Guivena avellana, "Avellano." — This is, I think, the finest Chilian 

 shrub. It has clear, shining, compound leaves, resembling those 

 of Mahorda quercifblia, and has fruits about the size of a marble, 

 which in ripening change from green to yellow, and from yellow to 

 red. It grows in the south, and might be easily reared in Britain. 

 I was much pleased to see a young plant of it in the Botanic Gar- 

 dens last summer. 



Leontochir ovallei, "Mano de leon," (that is "lion's fore-paw," and 

 the lion being the puma). — This is a rare plant, and, so far as I 

 know, confined to a small district in the north. The roots, which 

 resemble those of the dahlia, are about two feet below the surface. 

 The head of flowers is like a peony, but unfortunately the colour 

 is not pure. 



Timber Trees. — Fitzroya, "Alerce" or "Larch" — so named from 

 some resemblance to the European larch, and perhaps the most 

 useful wood in Chile. It attains a great size and age. As many 

 as 2000 rings of annual growth have been counted in a trunk. 

 The wood is red, and is said neither to rot, warp, nor crack. 



" Roble," meaning oak, but in reality a beech, Fagus. — The wood 



