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Report to Mr. Sidney M. Ehrman on 1951-52 South American botanical exploration -- T.H.Goodspeed

I. Areas studied -- The black line on the enclosed map shows the route of the expedition in Chile and Peru. Some 5000 miles were traversed by car and 1000 by other transportation and on foot. As shown, the coast of Chile was explored from the arid and torrid north, through the central ("Mediterranean") portion and into the forested, humid southern region. This was the first complete botanical exploration ever made of this 900 mile coastal strip, which is unique botanically primarily because of the variety of climates involved. In central Chile collections were also made in the Andes up to 12,000'. In Peru, plant exploration was limited to the coast north and south of Lima and to three stations just north of the Chilean frontier.

II. Plant collections and other products --
(1) 3000 dried plant specimens of 700 different plant species -- a permanent record of the character and distribution of the vegetation of the areas explored. The duplicate specimens are being sent to botanical research centers in this country and abroad.
(2) 1000 photographs (majority in natural color) -- important as supplementing the specimens (1) and for illustration of articles being published on the results of the expedition.
(3) seeds and living plants of new or rare species to be grown in botanical gardens and similar institutions to further research on a variety of theoretical and practical problems: 1000 packets of seed have been sent to 45 institutions and investigators; 400 living plants and 200 bulbs are being grown in the Botanical Garden (Berkeley). In addition, a large number of insects and a smaller number of shells were collected.

III. Scientific and other significance --
(1) Outstanding botanically was the almost complete representation of the Cacti of Chile which was obtained. A number of new species were discovered and certain problems hitherto unsolved because of meagerness of previously available research material, are being resolved. Thus, an entirely new chapter in the botany of the West Coast of South America has been revealed and is attracting much attention. Mr. Paul C. Hutchison, Senior Botanical Garden Botanist, who accompanied me to South America is a specialist in Cacti and has published a number of articles on those he collected in Chile. He also has other articles in preparation. In addition to Cacti a variety of other types of plants of scientific and of potential ornamental value were obtained.
(2) An area in southern Chile never before explored botanically was shown to be of extreme importance scientifically and otherwise. This is the Sierra Mahuelbuta, Prov. Malleco, somewhat west of Angol. It consists of rugged coast range terrain on which are groves of the famous "Chilean Pine" (Araucaria auricana) otherwise confined to a relatively small region in the Andes of southern Chile and Argentina. The forest contains remarkable remnants of a previously existing antarctic flora not to be seen elsewhere above a point 600 miles south. During the parts of three days spent in Sierra Mahuelbuta many new or little known species were seen, including a number of importance as ornamentals for California.
(3) My three months (January to March 1952) in Chile were primarily devoted to assisting the Ministry of Agriculture in development of a National Botanical Garden and agricultural research station near Vina del Mar, with my headquarters in Valparaiso. I also cooperated with the local FAO and Point 4 officers and with private individuals in a variety of ways. At the