THE VEGETATION OF THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 853 



height of 6 m with the trunk at least 15 cm thick. Bark very thin, only 0.5 — i mm, 

 brownish gray. With flowers from January to March or April. 



The 3 species of Rea, reestablished as an independent genus, are nearly 

 related to each other. The stem is solid and woody throughout, the flower-heads 

 much smaller than in Dendroscris s. str. and of different shape, and the flowers 

 milky white. All are confined to Masatierra. 



Rea inicra>it/ia Bert, ex Dene. Quite common all over the wooded country 

 and of physiognomic importance in tiie montane forest and brushwood between 

 400 and 600 m, extending west to the slope of Cerro Chumacera, but also thriving 

 on the lower barren slopes and open spaces in the macal belt, where it is a dwarf 

 tree rarely over 2 m tall with much smaller leaves and panicles. In the forest it 

 grows to a height of 6 — 8 m with a trunk of i — 1.5 m and 20 — 30 cm thick. On 

 large trees about 10 generations of branches were counted. Young bark smooth, 

 grayish or yellowish green, turning brownish gray, with distinct leaf scars; old 

 bark dark gray, 4 — ^5 mm thick, divided into rectangular pieces and often covered 

 with mosses and lichens. On PI. 1:2, Skottsb. j, is a fair-sized tree in August, 

 every branch ending in an expanded, sterile rosette. The terminal bud forms a 

 pointed, closed cone; the young leaves are pubescent, the old ones glabrous and 

 papyraceous. The panicles begin to unfold in December and come into bloom 

 end of January; flowering lasts through February and March, in higher altitude 

 until the middle of April. Mature achenes are found from end of March. PI. 69 

 shows a good-sized tree in full bloom. With its large, dense panicles of innumerable 

 white heads it offered a beautiful sight. Johow's pi. M, drawn by an artist, is a 

 poor representation of this fine species; besides, the shape of the leaf is not correct. 

 The flowering shoot loses its leaves during the summer; the innovations, 2 or 3 

 in number, are situated low down on the shoot as in Symphyochaeta (Fig. 19 c); 

 F'ig. 19 d shows one season's growth. Long branches not having reached flowering 

 stage must be several years old; comp. the plates cited above. At the timber-line 

 in one of the hanging gulches on Cordon Salsipuedes I came across a large 

 specimen (21.4. 191 7) which had flowered profusely and then died. 



Seeds sown 27.3. igi8 gave a few seedlings in the beginning of May (Fig. 19 b). 

 They grew quite well for a couple of years, forming numerous axillary buds on the 

 stem, which shed its leaves as usual. Also in nature additional innovations are observed, 

 causing the branching to become irregular. All the cultivated plants died without having 

 flowered. 



Rea prubiata (Johow) Skottsb. A seaside species, scattered in the dry ravines, 



west to Bahia Chupones and also found on Santa Clara. Very near the former, 



but much smaller and often only i — 1.5 m tall. Flowers earlier, found in full bloom 



already in the beginning of January. A few stunted specimens are seen on 



PI. 103: I. 



Rea neriifolia Dene. Confined to the quebradas between Bahia Cumberland 



and Puerto Frances according to Johow, but in spite of a careful search we were 



unable to find it. On p. 70 Johow gives a detailed description: 2 — 4 m tall with 



a main stem 10 — 30 cm thick, leaves stiff coriaceous, not crowded toward the branch 



tips, evidently lasting longer than in the other species. 



