Ill 



The trunk of the puya (puy^, gen. nov.) is used 

 for cork throughout Chili. This shrub has a great 

 resemblance to the anana. From its root issue three 

 or four monstrous shoots of a conical form, as large 

 as a man's body, but not exceeding twenty inches in 

 length ; these are covered with a spungy bark dis- 

 posed in the manner of scales ; from the top of these 

 shoots, or trunks, proceed the leaves ; these are four 

 feet long, furnished at the sides with crooked prickles 

 perfectly similar to those of the anana; from the 

 centre of the leaves rises a stalk nine feet in length 

 and three inches in diameter, covered with a very 

 hard green bark, enclosing a whitish spungy sub- 

 stance resembling cork. At the top the stalk is di- 

 vided into a number of branches covered with leaves 

 much smaller than those of the root, and with yellow 

 flowers four inches long composed of six irregular 

 petals, which form together a large and beautiful 

 pyramid. This singular vegetable produces no other 

 fruit than a triangular capsule containing a great 

 number of very small black seeds. The nectaries 

 of the flowers are always filled with honey, which is 

 eagerly sought after by the children. The Arauca- 

 iiian provinces furnish several varieties of this plant, 

 from whence the inhabitants collect great quantities 

 of honey. 



Besides the kali of Alicant (salsosa kali) which 

 grows in great abundance on all the marshes of the 

 sea-shore, a climbing shrub is found on the coast of 

 Coquimbo, from whence the soap-boilprs obtaiaii 

 large quantities of alkaline salt. 



