250 Botanical Collections. 



quite distinct ; several species of Polypodium, among which are the californicum, 

 the pruinatvm, and the spectabile ; a pretty Aspidium ; the Nothochlcena niveau 

 Desv., and three species of Asplenium, viz. the magellanicumy and two other 

 species probably new. 



The Salicornia peruviana is only found in the northern parts of the island. 

 Mosses, lichens, and fungi are very numerous : but it was impossible to 

 determine them on the spot. 



Phytoxis acidissima,* Molina ? a tree from 6 to 10 feet high, deserves to 

 be well studied. I think the generic character ought to be entirely remo- 

 delled, provided my plant be not something different. 



Such are the most remarkable plants that I have observed. I have, how- 

 ever, forgotten to speak of one thing which much astonished me, concerning 

 five or six species, which, in my opinion, ought to constitute a distinct genus. 

 They belong to the tribe of Cichoracece, and seem allied to Sonchus : three 

 of them are trees from 10 to 15 feet high, with the stem in proportion ; the 

 wood is hard, the branches almost always ternate, and the flowers in a 

 panicle. In one species, they bear a resemblance, in size and colour, to 

 those of HypochcBris helvetica. By an incision, they give out a prodigious 

 quantity of very thick and viscous milk. The stem and the branches are 

 hollow ; the inflorescence panicled ; the leaves alternate, and usually simple, 

 although in one species they are pinnatisect ; and in this one the segments 

 vary exceedingly in shape ; some being linear, simple, or bifurcated ; others 

 being toothed, and the terminal lobe cordate, or reniform, as in the Caltha 

 palustris, or Asarum europceum, but much larger. I rank these among the 

 best of my discoveries. 



Among the plants that were introduced when the island was inhabited by 

 the Spaniards, some may be mentioned which are so abundant, that one 

 might take them to be indigenous. Such are Melissa officinalis, Apium 

 petroselinvm, several species of Medicago, Avena sativa, Chenopodiuin anthel- 

 minticum, and Physalis peruviana, which produces excellent fruit. The 

 peach tree is in such abundance, that one can scarcely form an idea of the 

 quantity of fruit that is gathered ; and it is, in general, good to eat, notwith- 

 standing the state of nature into which the trees have fallen. The Cestruvi 

 parqui is frequent in the neighbourhood of houses ; it was brought from Chili, 

 along with several others, to which medical properties are attributed. The 

 vine is very rare ; the cherry tree abundant, but the fruit worthless. The 

 Fragaria chilensis is common, and its produce superior to what is to be had 



in Chili. There are abundance of fig trees Ann. des Sc. Nat. vol. xxi. 



p. 344. 



PenceacecB — In the 4th vol. of the Linncea, Kunth has a paper on the 

 genus Pencea, which he divides into three, of which Geissoloma of Lindl. 

 has eight stamens, and axillary flowers ; but Pencea, (with a quadrialate 

 style,) and Sarcocolla, (with a filiform style,) have only four, and a 

 terminal inflorescence. In the Penceacece, the seeds are usually erect ; but 

 the raphe is on the outer side, or that most remote from the placenta ; and, 

 therefore, they may be supposed to be suspended, and erect only by resupina- 

 tion ; especially as Geissoloma has them actually pendulous. In the ovule, 

 the foramen of the testa is near the hilum, and, consequently, the radicle 

 ought to point to it ; but it is remarkable, that neither Mr Lindley, nor Kunth, 

 nor Gaertner before them, has been able to detect any distinction between 

 albumen, cotyledons, or radicle ; the whole nucleus is fleshy, and perfectly 

 homogeneous. Gaertner supposes that this happens by the seed having the 

 embryo often abortive ; but that idea is scarcely admissible. It is a subject 



* The plant of Molina is the Algue laguen of Feuillee, Chil. 3. t. 1 ; which, ag-ain, 

 has been determined to be the Sphacela campanulata of Bentham in Bot. Reg. t. 15i89. — 



