248 



BOTANICAL COLLECTIONS, 



INCLUDING VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 



Botany of the Island of Juan Fernandez. (Extract from a letter from Dr 

 Bertero. ) 



[We place this interesting letter amongst our Collections, though extending 

 to a greater length than our usual notices, as it may be considered in the 

 light of a series of remarks on particular species. It will be found much 

 increased in value by the notes of Mr Walker Arnott Ed.] 



The flora of this spot in the Pacific Ocean is not I'ich in species, but its 

 size is small, the M'hole island not being more than 40 mil°s in circumference^ 

 after taking into consideration its principal bays. The country is hilly, and 

 consists, for the most part, of inaccessible peaks. The principal, and, 

 perhaps, only kind of rock, is basalt, in wliich olivine is occasionally found : 

 crystals of carbonate of lime are not common ; but, nevertheless, occur in 

 it. Ochre is very abundant, and of different shades ; a deeply coloured 

 variety, called by the natives colo, is deserving of being made an article of 

 commerce. There is no volcano : the stones that have been taken for lava, 

 and which much resemble scoria, or even pumice, ai)pear to be only decom- 

 posed basalt. This rock is also found in the globular form, arranged in 

 concentric layers. No mines are known ; the only metal in this island 

 being iron, in a state of oxidation. 



Water is abundant, and of excellent quality. It often rains, even during 

 summer. The prevailing winds are westerly, varying more or less to the 

 north of south, almost never from the easterly point of the compass. The 

 country is well wooded, but there is no great variety of timber. The canelo, 

 (^Drijmis chilensis,) mayu,* (Xantlwxi/lon mai/u, Bert.) and the luma,f or 

 temu,j: (Mijrtiis?) are the most common; some of these grow to a large 

 size. 



Although in the same latitude as Valparaiso, this island presents a con- 

 siderably different vegetation, approaching perhaps nearer to that of Chiloe. 

 Some plants of California, and others of New Zealand, are, however, to 

 be met with ; I'etragonia expanm, the Xanihox,/ltim, three Peperomias, 

 and three species of arborescent ferns, are examples. Twelve or fifteen 

 species of ferns occupy the greater part of the soil ; the rest is either 

 wooded, or perfectly destitute of plants. A palm, known in the country 

 by the name of Chonla,§ is found on the acclivities of the more elevated 

 mountains : although I have not seen the flower in a perfect state, I think 

 it must form a new genus. - 



The Retina, esteemed in Chili, on account of its supposed medical virtues, 

 is a green resin, produced by a small tree, which I believe to be a Senecio. \\ 

 It exudes from the branches and from the trunk, and, by the action of the 

 air, becomes solid and brittle ; when thrown on the fire, it gives out a smell 

 analogous to that of frankincense. Two kinds are distinguished — the 

 Resina macho, and the Resina hembra. The last gives out the least, and it 

 never acquires the consistence of that of the first. Resina is the product of 



«r Molina calls this, in his account of the island of Juan Fernandez, " yellow wood, or 



FagfM Intea : ") It is nut the mayii of Chili. (VV. A.) 

 f Mffi-tm Luma, Mol., M. muUiftnra, Juss. De C. Prod. iii. p. 240. (W. A.) 

 X Temus musrhata, Mol. De C. Prod. i. p. 77. Perhaps Molina's plant is not the real 



temn, or the descriiition is bad, as most modern botanists assert it to be a Myrhm. 



(W. A.) 



The chonta of Peru is Martinezia ciliata, K. P. Btictris ciliata Mart. (W, A. 

 Helianthus tkwrifer, Mol. H. glutinotiu. Hook, and Arn. (W. A.) 



