149 



from both. It is the most beautiful of the trees 

 of Chili, and lvi'ows spontaneously in the Arau- 

 caiiian })rovinces, but is cultivated in all other 

 parts of the roiintry, and, from its properties, 

 partaki'S of tlie nature of the pine, the ehesnut, 

 and file tru-kincense. The trunk is frequently 

 e!,'!::hty feet in heii2;ht, and its usual circumference 

 is eight ; the Avood is very resinous, and of a 

 veliovvisli hrov.n, and the bark smooth and green- 

 ish; the tree a> it increases in height shedding all 

 the little branches and leaves with which it is 

 covered while joung. When it attains the half 

 of its growth it puts forth, in a horizontal di- 

 rection, four durable limbs opposite to each other 

 in the form of a cross; the four following 

 branches are disposed in the same manner but 

 shorter, and at the distance of four or five feet 

 from the first ; the others decrease in lensTth 

 in proportion as thev approach the top, which 

 terminates in a point. The extremities of all 

 these branches incline perpendicularly, and give 

 to the tree the form of a quadrangular pyramid. 

 This pyramidal ;^hape becomes still more perfect 

 from the number of little boughs which project 

 laterally from the principal branches in a cruci- 

 form manner, decreasing gradually from the 

 coinmon axis. The principal branches as well 

 a^ the boughs, are set round with stff leaves 

 cnrhased in each other, of about three inches 

 long by QiiQ broad ; these are heart-shaped, eon- 



