132 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



The acclivity becoming steeper, the vegetable growth gradually' and 

 very regularly became more and more depressed, scattered in beds 

 with the intervening soil left bare ; the spinescent plants more and 

 more predominating. The discovery was soon made, that interesting 

 and ornamental plants were growing in the district ; not in the open 

 ground, but to be sought for in the shade and shelter of boulders and 

 projecting rocks : localities requiring examination were thus pointed 

 out in the distance ; and on visiting several, we procured the fol- 

 lowing plants: three species of Loam; Schizantlms Qrahami? ; an 

 Accena? ; gen. AcojnoUJ, large, with Xanthium-like fruit; a Galium- 

 like Larrea, belonging to the Desert-tribe of the Zygophy llaceae ; gen. 

 Valerianae, a liard and rigid plant, with the leaves entire ; a green- 

 tlowered gen. Pli/j/olaccac. ; and a showy Ahtroemeria. 



Wherever there were slight ravines containing mountain-rills, the 

 vegetable growth along their banks resumed its wonted aspect; pre- 

 senting only such forms and genera of plants as are usual elsewhere 

 in moist, springy situations. 



This botanical region varies in width along the slope of the Andes 

 according to the steepness; but in the two places where we crossed, 

 going and returning, measured about eight miles. The following 

 plants were found growing in the Chilian mountain-region, between 

 the elevation of six thousand feet and that of ten thousand : 



Berberis empetrifolia, (No. 6) ; see Lam. 253, fig. 4. Abounding towards the upper 



margin of the region.* 

 ■ (No. 7)'; leaves pubescent, obovate, entire. Rare. 



(SphtCTalcea? No. 2 ; recorded as) Malva ?. Prostrate; leaves pubescent, roundish, five- 



lobed, the under surface white. Hare. 

 Viviania? (No. 1). Leaves opposite, entire, white beneath; flowers red; five caljx-teeth; 



five petals ; stigmas three, and the capsule three-celled. Growing among the spinescent 



plants, (and sheltered by them). 

 Oxalis rosea, (No. 24). Taller than the next species; the flowers lilac. Found by Mr. 



Brackenridge. 

 (No. 25) ; small, hairy ; the root woody. 



• (No. 26); leaves glaucous; the leaflets deeply notched. Found by Mr. Bracken- 

 ridge. 



Larrea (No. 2). Having the habit of Galium ; the root woody. In the upper portion 



*Erodium (bis lower down). Only two to three inches high. Frequent, and seemingly 

 indigenous; (the only introduced or displaced plant we met with on the Chilian Andes.) 



