101 



jsea, sliore^ or in marshy places in its vicinity. 

 The interior part of the country has never been 

 xplored by an able botanist;, and I am con- 

 vinced that a great number of unknown plants 

 might be discovered there. 



Had I been desirous of enlarging the limits 

 of this work^ 1 might have given a very copious 

 enumeration of the plants of Chili ; but I prefer 

 confining myself to those only which are most 

 important and useful. As these may be reduced 

 to a small number, I have divided them into 

 herbs, grasses,* climbing plants, shrubs, and 

 trees. I am aware that this division is not 

 scientific, but it is convenient, and better suited 

 to the plan I have pursued in rny description of 

 vegetables. 



Sect. I. Herbs. Many of the plants which 

 are found in the country, such as the mallows, 

 trefoil, plaintain, endive, mint, nettles, &c. are 

 common both to Chili and to Europe. Others 

 that are carefully cultivated in the Europeaa 

 gardens grow naturally there, such as lupins, 

 love apples, Spanish pimento, celery, cresses^, 

 mustard, fennel, &c.f Of the tropical plants, 



"* I have rendered grasses what the author has called ia 

 Italian canne {reeds). Fr, Trans. 



t Ail our plants arc cultivated there without difficulty, and 

 produce abundantly, and there are some that grow naturally 



H 3 



