BALSAM-BOG. 77 



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Probably the Abbe Pernctty, though likening the small fruit to that 

 of the Anise, had not the most distant conception that it belonged to 

 the same Natural Family, viz. the TJmhelliftrrB ; the habit, aspect (or 

 port) of the plant being so exceedingly unlike any TJmbellifer of the 

 northern hemisphere. Some of the densely-tafted alpine Saxifrages, 

 with divided leaves, have more; the appearance of this singular produc- 

 tion, but on a very small scale. From a sketch made by Dr. Hooker 

 on the spot, there is a woodcut, published in Sir James Boss's 'Voyage 

 to the Southern Seas,' vol. ii. p. 303; and that is, as far as we know, 

 the first and only figure* which represents a group of these plants in 

 situ : and the most accurate representation of a small portion of a hum- 

 mock, and its botanical analysis, arc those given in the ' Icones Plan- 

 tarum,' vol. v. tab, 492 ; by which it will be seen that this huge plant, 

 when in its original and most perfect state, namely, with root, stem, 

 flower, and fruit, is yet among the smallest of the Natural Family Urn- 

 belliferce ; and that the great bulk of these large specimens is due to 

 the successive prolongations of the apices at the surface of hummock, 

 all rising from one original root. The * Flora Antarctica' of Dr, 

 Hooker, again, enumerates all the synonyms of the plant : so that we 

 have no need to offer a scientific description of it on the present occa- 

 sion. It will be more to our purpose to offer an extract from the most 

 recent author on the subject, in the work last mentioned (vol. li. p. 286). 



" Long before the Falkland Islands were colonized, from Britain," 

 says Dr. Hooker, " the present plant had excited considerable curiosity, 

 by the remarkable mode of growth it there assumes, and its forming a 

 feature in the landscape, that strikes the most casual observer. Now 

 that these islands have been annexed formally to the British dominions, 

 the Bolax, or Balsam-hog^ assume a still greater interest. In whatever 

 portion of this country the voyager may land, he cannot proceed fixr 

 along the beach without entering groves of Tnssac or Tussoch (Tussac- 

 grass, Dactylis c^spitosa), whose leaves often wave over his head ; nor 

 turn his steps inland without seeing, scattered over the ground, huge, 

 almost spherical, hillocks, of a pale, dirty yellow-green colour and uni- 

 form surface, so hard that one may break the knuckles on them. If 

 the day be warm, a faint aromatic smeU is perceived in their neighbour- 

 hood, and drops or tears of a viscid white gum are seen to flow from 



♦ Copied, and coloured to the fancy of the artist ("/. C, Frank del. et lithD, 

 in the ' Popular Geography of Plants,' lately puhlished. 



