DUSEN : THE VEGETATION OF WESTERN PATAGONIA. I I 



which are the dominant trees of this locality. Like Nothofagus betuloides 

 they have small, thick and coriaceous leaves. On the other hand, Drimys 

 winteri Forst. is as common here as farther south, and Libocedrus tetra- 

 gona Endl. appears to thrive even better than in the district of % the Straits 

 of Magellan. Although full-grown specimens of this tree are now hardly 

 to be found in the Guaitecas Islands, because every full-sized trunk has 

 been cut down, on account of its excellent wood, there is hardly any doubt 

 that this species grows here in larger, closer and more immingled groves 

 than in the southern section. 



To the above-mentioned species I should add not a few others, which 

 the Guaitecas have in common with south Chili and the opposite coast of 

 western Patagonia. Without exception they are all evergreen ; namely, 

 Lauretta aromatica Spreng., Caldchwia paniculata Don., IVeinmannia 

 trichosperma Cav., Lomatia ferruginea R. Br., Edwardsia macnabiana 

 Grah., Podocarpus mibigena Lindl., species of the genus Eugenia and, of 

 rarer occurrence, Guevina avellana Mol., and Embothrium coccineum Forst. 

 The undergrowth of the forests and the thickets by the sea-beach likewise 

 show a greater variety of species than is the case in the southern section. 



A very remarkable feature in the vegetation of these islands is the 

 occurrence of epiphytic phanerogams, which are represented by at least 

 five species: Mitraria coccinea Cav., Asteranttiera chiloensis Hanst et Kl., 

 Luzuriaga radicans Ruiz et Pav., Sarmienta repens Ruiz et Pav., and 

 one species belonging to the BromeRacete, namely a species of Rhodo- 

 stachys. Of parasitic phanerogams there is at least one, Myzodendron 

 punctulatum Banks et Sol. 



The vegetation varies, as to its component species, according to the 

 nature of the ground. Generally, the soil consists of rock with a rather 

 thick overlying layer of peat, produced by the mosses, which, in large 

 masses, cover every inch of it. Here beeches and Drimys prevail, at the 

 cost of other trees, while, in places where the lowland is made up of sand, 

 the case is just the reverse. In other respects also the vegetation of the 

 sandy places differs from what is the rule elsewhere. For instance, the 

 grass Chusquea, which, as I have stated, belongs to the flora of northern 

 Patagonia, is found here, and the ground lacks that close-woven carpeting 

 of mosses so characteristic of the peat-covered rocks. Naturally, mosses 

 occur even here, but are comparatively few and belong to species different 

 from those of the beech forests proper. 



