THE VEGETATION OF THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 835 



Trees of secondary importance, but more or less common. 



Coprosnia Ilookeri (G. Don) W. R. B. Oliver, "Olivillo". Only on Masatierra, 

 common in all the woods from about 300 ni; west to Cerro Chumacera. Not 

 unfrequent in the brushwood along the ridges. Johow calls it a shrub ("estatura 

 frutescente"), but it is a small to medium-sized tree, occasionally as much as 7 

 or 8 m tall but generally smaller and branched from near the base (Pi. 62: 2 and 

 63:1, wiiere the arboreous habit is distinctly seen). Trunk rarely over 20 cm in 

 diam.; often elliptic in section; a sample in our collection measures 19^' 12 cm. 

 Bark smooth, light gray. Leaves thin coriaceous, of 2 years' duration. Buds 

 effectively protected by the stipular sheath (Figs. 8 g — k). The new growth starts 

 in early spring (Fig. 8 g) and continues until late summer (Fig. 8 h). The first leaf 

 pair is of normal size (Fig. 8 k) or reduced (Fig. 8 i). Flowers Nov. — Feb. 



BoeIn)ieria excelsa (Bert, ex Steud.) Wedd., "Manzano". Urticaceae. Only 

 on Masatierra, where it is common along the streams in the valley bottoms, mixed 

 with luma, peralillo etc. or forming pure stands (Skottsb. 2, PI. 7); not observed 

 above 400 m, but ranging west to the south slope of Cerro Chumacera. Maxi- 

 mum height 5 — 8 m (Looser), 10 m (Johow); generally not over 7 or 8 m; trunk 

 short, bulky, more or less irregular in section, to 50 cm thick, often sprouting 

 from the base. In many-stemmed specimens the trunks may be pressed together 

 and more or less twisted round each other, and in the furrows formed in this 

 way a dense felt of aerial roots is developed, but their function has not been 

 investigated. From the lower limbs roots will go down into the soil. Bark dark 

 grayish brown, densely warty, 2 — 3 mm thick. The wood is very light, soft and 

 full of sap; a bored stem will produce a stream of a faint yellowish, tasteless liquid 

 which continues to flow for some minutes. Leaves of the common urticaceous 

 type, coriaceous, tomentose, unlike everything else in the island flora (Skottsb. j, 

 PI. 7: i). Buds naked; the caducous stipules will offer protection only at a very 

 early period, but the involute, densely hirsute leaves protect each other well 

 (Fig. 9 d). Sprouting in August; the young shoots will bear flower clusters from 

 November on; in April still growing and all kinds of stages found. PI. 64:2. 



RhaphitJiamniis venustus (Phil.) B. L. Robins., "Juan Bueno". Verbenaceae. 

 On both islands, common in the forests of Masatierra, especially on the higher 

 humid slopes and ranging west to the south precipice of Cerro Chumacera. Much 

 less frequent on Masafuera, observed from about 440 to 515 m. A middle-sized 

 tree, 6 — 8 m tall with trunk to 40 cm in diam. PI. 59:2 illustrates an unusually 

 large specimen, a good 10 m tall with the distance to the lowest limb 3 m, and 

 a flattened trunk 46 and 26 cm in diam., respectively, 1.5 m above the ground. 

 Bark often covered with foliaceous lichens. Branchlets slender, pendent (PI. 64: i), 

 exposing the dark lilac-coloured flowers. Leaves small, firm, dark green, often 

 attacked by Limacinia. The tip of a resting shoot apex in August is seen in 

 Fig. 9 a; bud naked, but densely hirsute, as are the young leaves. In Nov. — Dec. 

 the flowers appear; inflorescence a 2-flowered dichasium, ending in a needle-like 

 spine, which, however, is not always developed (Fig. 9 b). Below the inflorescence 

 is a serial accessory leaf-bud. As a rule growth of the innovations is arrested in 



