106 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 



ing herbage, and the representatives of arborescent vege- 

 tation doing what their progenitors have done for the land 

 upon a stupendous scale long, long ages before. And as 

 these lichens, and mosses, and ferns, are representatives of 

 their progenitors, which, having done their work, passed 

 away, so may the existing forests of the present be con- 

 sidered representatives of their progenitors, and of like 

 arborescent vegetation elsewhere, which, having served 

 their generation according to the will of God, are passing 

 away and disappearing under the hand of man.* 



* During the years 1863-1866 I held the appointment of Government Botanist at the 

 Cape of Good Hope. The following letter, which I had occasion to address to an 

 energetic, active, patriotic minister born in the colony, supplies an illustration of the 

 point under consideration : 



' Wynberg, 13th January 1864. 

 ' The Rev. W. STEGMANN, Adelaide. 



' MY DEAR SIR, When we met you were pleased to say that I would indeed confer a 

 benefit on the colony if I could devise a means of stopping the spread of the rhenoster 

 bosch, which now covers the country for hundreds of miles, extending over districts 

 which, within the memory of man, were covered with rich grass. I have given attention 

 to the subject while prosecuting the tour from which I have just returned, and I give 

 you the result. 



1 1 have found the prevalent opinion to be, that the bush (Elytropappas rhinocerotis) 

 has been spread over the country by the removal of sheep from one district to another ; 

 and statements have been made to me which were apparently corroborative of this 

 opinion. It may be the case that thus the plant has been introduced into districts 

 where it was previously unknown, but I find it more easy to account in another way for 

 its general diffusion when once introduced. 



' The plant has a flower composed of a number of distinct florets, like the daisy, the 

 thistle, the hawk-weed, and the dandelion. Like several such plants it has a pappus, 

 or down, attached to each fruit. It is from this it gets part of its Latin name. It has 

 the down in two rows, the inner long and more or less feathery, the outer very short, 

 and arranged like a crown, or toothed circle ; and the other portion of the name, derived 

 from eltyron, an envelope, is given from this. 



' In Europe it is seen how such a pappus, or down, subserves the wide dispersion of 

 the thistle and the dandelion. The down forms a tuft surmounting the fruit, and seems 

 to be placed there with a special view to its being wafted to a distance by the wind. By 

 the wind it is blown from the flower-stalk, and by the same wind it is borne away. It 

 is stopped, it may be, by a hedge ; but it only rests for a second or two, and it is again 

 off and away. It is caught again by some other thing in its course, and it rests again, 

 but only for a time. It reaches the ground, but it alights amongst grass, and it is soon 

 again upon the wing. Follow it ! follow it ! it may lead you a long chase, but it must 

 stop at last. At length it reaches uncovered soil. It falls gently as a parachute and it 

 grapples firmly the ground. But the wind seems loth to cease its funning. The wind 

 blows at it, and blows at it still, but it holds fast, It is turned round, and round, and 

 round again ; but no, it will not quit its hold ; but neither will the wind cease its efforts 

 to get it dragged away from its earthly rest, and round, and round, and round, but 

 apparently in lessening circles, it turns, refusing to go. At length its struggles cease : 

 but look at it, examine it closely, and you will learn why. These very gyrations have 

 been working the fruit down, down, deep into the ground, and the wind now may, if it 

 will, twist off the tuft of down, and boast of it as a love token or a trophy ; but the seed 

 is safely lodged in the soil, far, far, oh how far, from the parent plant. 



' I speak of what may be seen at home on any summer's day. The same thing may 

 be seen here occasionally with the seed of the Senecio, the ragwort, or groundsel ; and 

 so it is, I presume, with the seed of the rhiuoster bush, which seems to me to be 



