REPORT ON THE BOTANY OE JUAN FERNANDEZ AND MASAFUERA. 57 



"Chonta" is the native name of this Palm, which is peculiar to Juan Fernandez. 

 According to Germain, as recorded by Philippi (I.e.), it is dicecious, and the trunk attains 

 a height of eighty to ninety feet. It is stated in Sutcliffe's Crusoniana, p. 28, that the 

 Cabbage Palm or Chonta was abundant during Alexander Selkirk's stay on the island 

 (1704-1709) ; but in Walter's account of Commodore Anson's visit, as quoted by SutclifTe, 

 p. 67, the number of trees in 1741 was small, and most of them were growing ou pre- 

 cipices and in dangerous situations. Moseley states 1 that from a certain point in the 

 island one could count the number of trees remaining. 



Philippi (Bot. Zeit., 1856, p. 634) describes the Chonta as a very slender and 

 graceful Palm ; the trunk, though rarely exceeding eight inches in diameter, rises high 

 above the tallest forest trees, where its head of waving feathery leaves is very effective. 

 The dark green trunk is quite smooth and shining, and the leaf-scars are about eight 

 inches asunder. The scarlet fruit is about the size of a bullet, and lianas in elegant 

 festoons, adding greatly to the beauty of the tree. 



JUNCACE^E. 

 Juncus niicrocephalus, H. B. K. 



J uncus microceplmlus, H. B. K., Nov. Gen. et Sp., i. p. 237 ; Gay, Fl. Chil., vi. p. 141 ; Buchenau in 

 Abbandl. naturw. Vereins, Bremen, vi. p. 406. 



Juan Fernandez. — In humid pastures — Be rtero ; Scolder ; Douglas; Heed; Moseley. 

 A common and variable American species, ranging from Mexico to Uruguay and Chili. 



Juncus acutus, Linn. 



Juncus acutus, Linn., Sp. PL, ed. 1, p. 325; Gay, Fl. Chil., vi. p. 140; Buchenau in Abhandl. 



naturw. Vereins, Bremen, iv. p. 421, et vi. p. 389. 

 Juncus macrocarpus, Nees in Linmea, xx. p. 243. 



Juan Fernandez. Scolder. 



A maritime species inhabiting the coast of western and southern Europe, from the 

 south of England ; North and South Africa, and both sides of South America. 



Juncus dombeyanus, J. Gay. 



Juncus dombeyanus, J. Gay in Laharpe Monogr. June., p. 132; C. Gay, Fl. Chil., vi. p. 112: 

 Buchenau in Abhandl. naturw. Vereins, Bremen, vi. p. 40S ; Philippi in Bot. Zeit., 1856. 

 p. 630. 



Juan Fernandez. Germain. 



This is the only Juncus in Philippics list ; and it is also recorded from Juan Fernandez 

 by Buchenau, but there are no authentically named specimens of this species at Kew. It 

 is, however, evidently so near Juncus microceplialus as to be hardly separable as a species. 

 It is also recorded from the southern provinces of Chili. 



1 Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger, p. 541. 

 (bot. chall. exp. — part in.- — 1884.) C 8 



