THE CHILI PINE. 



Araucaria imbricata. 



When the numerous trees, which have been 

 introduced into Great Britain during the last 

 fifty or sixty years, have attained to perfection 

 and in a measure altered the features of artificial 

 landscape scenery, no tree will contribute so much 

 to produce this effect as the Araucaria or Uiili 

 Pine. Seen from a distance, it has just enough ot 

 the character of the Fir tribe to point out its re- 

 lationship, but is unlike them all; and when 

 inspected more closely, it bears not the least 

 resemblance to any tree known m Britain, and, 

 even to any eye but that of a botanist, it no longer 

 has any afiinity with the Firs. _ _ 



In its native haunts, the Cordillera chain m 

 Chili, it is a lofty tree, exceeding a hundred^ feet 

 in height, with a straight trunk, covered with a 

 thick cork-like bark, which abounds with resm. 

 The branches are longest and most numerous near 

 the base ; thus the tree has a pyramidal form. _ The 

 leaves are broad, rigid, tough, and sharp pointed, 

 remaining attached to the tree for many years. 

 The branches are cylindrical and thickly covered 

 by the clasping leaves, resembling, as Loudon 

 happily remarks, "in young trees, snakes partly 

 coiled round the trunk, and stretching forth their 

 long slender bodies in quest of _ prey. _ ihe 

 Araucaria, as we are acquainted with it m Eng- 



