FLORA OF CENTRAL CHILI. 141 



conveniently carry for myself. Though I moved 

 slowly, as naturalists generally do, my companion 

 soon grew tired, or pretended fatigue, and after an 

 hour or so I sent him back to the hotel with the 

 portfolio well filled. 



The flora of Central Chili is denominated by Grise- 

 bach that of the transition zone of western South 

 America ; but, except in the sense that it occupies a 

 territory intermediate between the desert region to 

 the north and that of the antarctic forests to the south, 

 the term is not very appropriate. On the opposite 

 side of the continent, the flora of Uruguay, Entrerios, 

 and the adjoining provinces, may be truly said to 

 offer a transition between that of South subtropical 

 Brazil and that of the pampas region, most of the 

 genera belonging to one or other of those regions, 

 the one element gradually diminishing in importance 

 as the other assumes a predominance. In this respect 

 the Chilian flora presents a remarkable contrast, being 

 distinguished by the large number of vegetable types 

 peculiar to it, and having but slight affinities either 

 with those of tropical or antarctic America. 



Of 198 genera peculiar to temperate South America, 

 the large majority belong exclusively to Central Chili, 

 and these include several tribes whose affinity to 

 the forms of other regions is only remote. Two of 

 these tribes — the Vivianea and Frajtcoacecs — have 

 even been regarded by many botanists as distinct 

 natural orders ; and many of the most common and 

 conspicuous species will strike a botanist familiar 

 with the vegetation of other regions of the earth as 

 very distinct from all that he has known elsewhere. 



