THE VEGETATION OF THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 799 



the native forest lay at about 200 m above sea level. Remarkably enough the 

 maqui is not mentioned; 30 years later the same trail led through a dense macal 

 before the ascent of the ridge begins. The maqui had not yet spread enough to 

 make itself conspicuous, and Moseley did not collect it. Jnania was said to have 

 become "almost exterminated"; this is true of the mountains encircling Cumber- 

 land Bay, but not of the island in general. 



In 1885, the first, but unfortunately not the last tourist excursion to Masa- 

 tierra was arranged. It gave rise to two publications; one, by E. T. Cavikdez, 

 a newspaper man, is deemed by Johow to be superior to most other popular 

 narratives on this subject, but it lacks all scientific interest. The other, by one 

 Alexander Ermel, a German merchant, is, according to the same source, of no 

 value; worse than that, it is full of nonsense. This is not the place to deal with 

 the author's geographical speculations, but a number of his botanical "observa- 

 tions" should not be passed unnoticed. The forest is said to be formed by 3 

 species of trees, Fagara making up 90%, Drimys and Coprosnia pyrifolia 5% 

 each; the dominating tree, NotJioniyrcia, is not even mentioned except as one of 

 the several shrubs enumerated and including all the other forest trees. We are 

 told that the Latin name of the native palm is Jiibaea spectabilis (the only palm on 

 the mainland of Chile), that it once formed forests but only succeeds under the 

 shade of other trees, that the pith(!) is edible and the cluster of fruits so heavy 

 that one person can hardly lift it, and that the fruit is superior in taste to hazel 

 nuts and pine seeds — the mesocarp is edible, but quite insipid. The particulars 

 referring to Gunnera, Fragaria, Acaena etc. are equally absurd. 



Federico JOHOW, who visited the Islands in 1891 — 92 and 1895 (together 2V2 

 months) and in 1896 published a comprehensive account of fundamental importance, 

 is the first scientist who attempted to distinguish definite plant communities (pp. 

 246 — 255 and 257 — 262). On Masatierra two forest types were distinguished: a) 

 "las selvas altas i sombrias que llenan el interior de las grandes quebradas", and 

 b) "los bosques que cubren la serrania de Masatierra, rejion formada por un gran 

 niimero de crestas, cumbres i precipicios que no dan cabida al crecimiento de 

 arboles grandes i en los cuales el sol penetra facilmente por entre la vejetacion." 

 This latter type includes a much greater variety of species, and with this he also 

 classified "los claros i orillas de las selvas altas i las cercanias de los riachuelos 

 que corren en el fondo de las quebradas"; they deserve, however, to be treated 

 separately. Lists of the trees and shrubs of the two types are furnished, with 

 indication of the frequency from social to rare. On Masafuera only one kind of 

 real forest was distinguished, covering the valley slopes and corresponding to type 

 a) from Masatierra, but besides this another, very different kind, occurring in 

 depressions on the highland and formed mainly by treeferns. The climbing plants, 

 epiphytes, and herbs and grasses of the forest floor are discussed at some length; 

 the latter, mainly ferns, were grouped according to their light-demands. No other 

 cryptogams were considered. Johow further mentions that the exposed ridges of 

 Masatierra are covered with low brushwood with Pernettya rigida and Halorrh- 

 agis alata [ = niasatierrajia) as leading species. 



A second group of communities characterizes the lower, treeless western 



