490 ZONES AND REGIONS [Ft. Ill, Sect. II 



plants, common in the forests near Puerto Montt, are Aralia valdiviensis, C. Gay, 

 Boquila (Lardizabala) trifoliata, Decne, Ercilla volubilis, A. Juss., which extends as 

 far as Peru, Echites chilensis, A. DC, and one or two species of Cynoctonum. The 

 beautiful Lapageria rosea, Ruiz et Pav., with its rose-red, lily-like bell-flowers, 

 undoubtedly the finest ornament of the forests, is common everywhere from Osorno 

 to Concepcion, and is a climber, the thin wire-like stems of which give no little 

 trouble to any one wishing to leave the path and walk in the forest. . . . The com- 

 monest forest trees here are the Vauvan (Laurelia serrata, Phil.), and the Coigne, 

 also named the Roble (Fagus Dombeyi, Mirb.), a magnificent tree, with horizontal 

 branches and small evergreen foliage. In this country it affords the most durable 

 timber, resisting humidity best of all, but is not nearl}' so common as further north, 

 where gigantic trees may be seen, whose hollowed-out stems form canoes large 

 enough to hold seven to nine persons. The Canelo (Drimys chilensis, DC.) is 

 common, also the Tineo or Tenui (Weinmannia trichosperma, Cav.), with graceful 

 pinnate leaves, the Tiaca (Caldciuvia paniculata, Don.), the Tique or Palo muerto 

 (Aextoxicon punctatum, Ruiz et Pav.), the Sahuco falco (Aralia laetevirens, Gay), 

 the Luma (Myrtus Luma, Molina), with very hard, tough wood, a moderate-sized 

 tree ; finally, among conifers, Saxegothaea conspicua, Lindl.. which I might compare 

 with our yew as regards its mode of growth and foliage, and Podocarpus nubigena, 

 Lindl., the needles of which closely resemble those of our silver fir. . . . The 

 valuable Lingue (Persea Lingue, Nees) does not occur here. Underwood is chiefly 

 composed of Berberis Darwinii, Hook., and B. buxifolia, Lamk., Azara lanceolata, 

 Hook, f., whose numerous golden flowers fill the air with perfume, Citharexylum 

 cyanocarpum, Hook, et Am., Eugenia apiculata, DC, and E. planipes, Hook, et Am., 

 as well as Myrtus Ugni, Molina, finally the Tepu (Tepualia stipularis, Griseb.). It 

 forms along the banks of streams and other humid places a completely impenetrable 

 thicket, named Tepuales.' 



The island of Mas-a-Ticrra, the greatest of the Juan Fernandez Archi- 

 pelago, although situated in about the same latitude as Santiago in Chili 

 (about 36 S.), possesses a much more rainy climate, and is partly covered 

 with rain-forest, which, in accordance with the insular position, is less rich 

 in forms than is that of the continent (Fig. 254) : — 



This rain-forest is composed chiefly of three trees, of which the myrtaceous Myrc- 

 eugenia fernandeziana takes the foremost place — a tree attaining 25 meters in height 

 and 80 centimeters in diameter, with a dense umbrella-shaped crown, and moderately 

 large parchment-like leaves. The second place according to number of individuals, 

 but the first according to dimensions, is taken by Zanthoxylum Mayu, a tree attain- 

 ing 30 meters in height, with pinnate leathery leaves. These two species are always 

 accompanied by the endemic variety of Drimys Winteri known as confertifolia, 

 which, though only attaining a height of ten meters, possesses an extremely thick 

 massive stem, and has its laurel-like leaves crowded together at the tips of its axes, 

 as is the case in most endemic plants of the archipelago. Accompanying these 

 dominant trees are others as subordinate species, such as Psychotria pyriflora 

 (Fig. 255), Boehmeria excelsa, Sophora tetraptera, which likewise attain a height of 

 only ten meters, and, like the preceding trees, have rather sapless foliage. Striking 



