~ 
204 A VISIT TO THE NORTHERNMOST FOREST OF CHILE. 
similar to a Pentstemon, 14 m. high, covered with rose-coloured 
flowers, ~~ a large Astragalus with pale yellow flowers. 
Th two days I was occupied with the drying of the plants, 
so that I al not move from Serena; but my son went with the 
stuffer up to the plain above Serena, and brought me several 
eas plants, pectin’ them Cesalpina angulicaulis Clos., two 
3 of Chorizanthe, different shrubby Synantheree, Oxalis gigantea 
aie and a nice little Ovalis with a thick fle mas oy and only 
flowers, entirely without leaves, which I think new; Plumbago 
caerulea ., and large specimens of Heliotropium curassavicum 
i. stenophyllum DC., and a woody Atriple 
On the 24th we started with the train aa Ovalle, where I 
wished to examine the northernmost forest of Chile, called Frai 
Jorge. We started at eight o’clock, and went first to Coquimbo; 
then the line runs to the east, and — southwards, crossing 
the mountain of Las Cardas. From Serena to the foot of Las 
Cardas the line passes through a peal eects covered with 
shrubby vegetation. Near Coq exiibe grow Heliotropium _ steno- 
phyllum, Pleocarphus, Argemone mexicana ; farther on the vegetation 
consisted of Haplopappus, Brachyris, Chaguir aga, and such things ; 
grow many vee form: ing here and = 
whose red flowers were brilliant like fire. “On some spe grow 
Muhlenbeckia bails Meisn., Cestrum Parqui Hér., Colliguaya odort- 
fera Mol., Lithrea venenosa Miers, Flourensia thurifera DC., wh icl 
Before we ascended Las Cardas I obtained a to stand 
on the platform before the engine, and so I could see the line and 
the vegetation along it. The line panels man : eae in its 
ascent, and one might think more than once to enter again the 
station of Las Cardas; but it goes slowly but steadily upwards, on 
one place with an ascent of 1 in 20, until the top is reached. As 
the tram runs very slowly, I could observe well the = 
which is formed be Cordia decandra H. & Arn. covered with m 
snow-white blossoms, Fuchsia rosea R ” Cusateiah a cuiicuadl 
Clos, a shrubby Adesmia, a white ee oxi Azara (if I saw well), 
a Co lstin, many Ovxalis gigantea Barn., Fabiana shrubs 
Descending from the top we entered a valley running south, with 
i } ia Cavent 
