COMPOSITAE OF PERAUSTRAL AMERICA. 155 



Tlie A.stereae are represented by seventeen genera in Pata- 

 gonia, some of which are nearly confined to Peranstral America, 

 and most of the species are more or less frutescent. Gnndelia 

 and Gidierrezia resemble the Xorth American Gnmplants and 

 Goldenrods. (jutlerrezla ciipressifonnis by its leaves resembles 

 a cypress, and such resemblance is still greater with Lepidophyl- 

 lum cupressiforme (Pers.) "Mate-verde" (plate xxvii, A), and 

 Nardophyllum humile, A. Gray; extraordinary instances of re- 

 semblance, which can scarcely be mimicry. Cliiliopliyllum fue- 

 gianum 0. Hoffm. resembles a Solidago, saA^e that it is shrubby, 

 and has a ehatfy receptacle. Lagenophoia commersonii Cass., 

 "Tiny'", is a gem, like a variation of the British daisy, and the 

 genus extends to Australia and Xew Zealand. Aster itself is 

 represented by about half a dozen species, most of them in Xorth 

 Patagonia, and most of them frutescent. A. vahlii H. & A. is 

 common in Fuegia, reaching to Cape Horn. Erigeron has 22 

 sj^ecies in the region, nearly all herbaceous, and one, E. alpinus 

 L. connnon to Eurasia and Xorth America, and extending to 

 Soutii Patagonia. I saw a specimen of it in the Gray Herbarium, 

 with the label that it was collected in 1767 by Commerson, in the 

 ''Bay Boucent.," Patagonia; it was erroneously named E. myo- 

 soiis. (J. 1). Hooker unites E. alpinus and E. myosotis, but 

 Franchet rebels against that). E. suUivani Hook, f. is found in 

 the Falklands and South Patagonia. Erigeron has a great many 

 species in the American Cordilleras, where are its headquarters 

 and possibly its birthplace. 



Chlliotrichiinn diffiistDu (Forst.) is a common bush in the 

 steppes, and the nearest thing to a tree in the Falkland Islands. 

 This is closely allied to the Australian shrubs Olearia (85 spe- 

 cies) and thus links together two continents. 



Chrysicoma is another linking genus, having several species 

 in Africa, and a single species, C. cuneifolia Jacq., in Magellan; 

 a shrub with discoid golden heads. Histerionica jasionoides W., 

 which is common near Rio Xegro, is remarkable for its large 

 sloitary golden head, and its narrow, veinless leaves. Hetero- 

 tJialmus, Less, has several species of shrubs witli polygamo-dioe- 



