long, t'liriiished at the sides with crooked 

 prickles^ perlVctlv siniihir to those of the aiiaua : 

 from the cetitre of the leaves rises a stalky iiiiie 

 feet in length, ai.d three inches in diameter, co- 

 vered with a very hard green hark_, ench)siug a 

 whitish spungy substance resembling cork. At 

 the top the stalk is divided into a number of 

 branches covered with leaves, much smaller 

 than tliose of the ropt, and with yellow flowers, 

 four inches long, composed of six irregular 

 petals, which form together a large and beauti- 

 ful pyramid. This singular vegetable produces 

 no other fruit than a triangular capsule, con- 

 taining a great number of very small black 

 seeds. The nectaries of the flowers are always 

 tilled with honey, wdiich is eagerly sought after 

 by the children. The Araucanian provinces 

 furnish several varieties of this plant, from 

 whence the inhabitants collect great quantities 

 of honev. 



Be?idc\s the kali of Alicant (salsosa kali) which 

 grovvs in great abundance on all the marshes of 

 the sea shore, a climbing shrub is found on tlie 

 coast of Coquimbo, from whence the soap- 

 boilers obtain large quantities of alkaline salt. 



Chili produces seven species of the myrtle, all 

 estim.ibie for their beauty and fragrance. Bui 

 the mn-,t valuable is the one called by the In- 

 dians ri;<?</, and by the Spaniards murtilla. The 

 French, who found it in the Malouiue island^ 



