CHILI. 17 



countries ; romantic grov^cs of myrtle and bushes 

 overspread the hills ; and a mixture of other bacci- 

 ferous trees, of congenial forms, agreeably har- 

 monize with this predominant species. Tiie beauti- 

 ful Guevina aveUana, of the family of the Proteacece, 

 unites with the myrtles, and species of Lorantus 

 sowed by the birds, adorn the trees and bushes 

 with their red and white bunches of flowers. The 

 Fiidisia CQCcinca generally fills the watered moun- 

 tain clefts ; a few parasite plants climb in the 

 thicker parts of the forest ; a Bromeliaccay the re- 

 markable Pitrairinia coarctatay with rampant twist- 

 ing stems and stiff leav^es, covers the otherwise 

 naked and dry hills. The beautiful Laj)ageria rosea 

 twines round the thickets, the lighter parts of which 

 are adorned with other liliaceous plants, amaryllis, 

 Alotramcriay Sisyrynchiumy &:c. 



Many European species, the Oenotherecu Calceo- 

 lariciy Acaenea\ are intermingled with new kinds j 

 and the moist pastures of the valley are adorned, as 

 with us, by yellow ranunculus. * 



* Tlie family of the Proteacece, and the species Aruncaria, 

 of the family of the Strobilacea:, belong to the southern hemi- 

 sphere. The species which are met with in Chili, and might 

 remind us oi' Austra/ia, arc natives. We collected the Goadenia 

 rppens, which, according to Brown's observations, grows in New 

 Holland, and Chili ; it may be considered as a strand plant, like 

 those 0^ the Mesembrianihem urn species which we found here, 

 and in California; which resemble those growing in New 

 Holland, and New Zealand, and approach very nearly the 

 Mesemhriaiithcmum edidc of the Cape. We must reserve our 

 observation an the geographical difl'usion of plants, till we have 

 arranged our botanical collections. 

 VOL. III. C 



