THE VK(;ETAriON OK THE JTAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 863 



of shedding, and in April other shrubs were still foliated, but as I had no oppor- 

 tunity to make observations durin<^ the winter months, and as Johow visited the 

 island in June, it is probable that Ihrberis offers the only example of a deciduous 

 species in these islands. 



Berheris uiasafuertDia Skottsb. Only known from two of the gorges in Masa- 

 fuera, growing on precipitous cliffs; a single seedling was found in the bottom 

 of the Casas valley. A little-known species, nearly related to the former, but more 

 slender, liark cinnamon brown to dark violet. Flower and fruit unknown. 



Collctia spartioides Hert. ex Colla. Rhamnaceae. Endemic on Masatierra, 

 growing on the steep barrancas in some of the valleys from Puerto Frances to 

 Puerto Ingles, very scarce. Lowest and highest stations noted, 220 and 500 m. 

 A several-stemmed shrub or short-stem tree with i — 2 m long branches, straggling 

 and pendent from the rocks. Bark green, when young finely pubescent, later corky. 

 Leaves thin, soon caducous. Fig. 25 d represents a leafy branch in January, ending 

 in a spine, pungent but quite innocent as compared with the armament of the 

 continental species, and bearing axillary, simple spines or spine-systems, with leaves 

 as a rule reduced to the minute stipules. This branch will not continue its growth 

 unless a serial accessory bud is developed below the spine, as the figure shows; 

 a second accessory branch may be formed below the first. The solitary flowers 

 replace spines or are borne on minute accessory shoots. Fruits from January on, 

 flowers in the autumn. 



Seeds sown 7.8. 1918 germinated next spring, but the seedlings died during the 

 following winter. A new trial gave better results, and one specimen, planted free in 

 a bed in the succulent house, grew to a large size and flowered in October, 1927. 

 No seeds were produced. Still alive in 1952. 



Pemettya rigida DC, "Murtillo". F.ricaceae. On both islands, on Masatierra 

 a dominant member of the scrub above the forest, in cases forming low impenetr- 

 able thickets and extending along the rocky ridges down to about i 50 m above 

 sea-level, but scarce in the western barren country. Scattered in the highland 

 of Masafuera, locally abundant but rare below 500 m; on the slopes of Los Ino- 

 centes to about 1400 m. A much-branched shrub with small and stiff, coriaceous 

 leaves and i^ — 2 m tall, occasionally a short-stem tree up to 4 m high with a low 

 main stem, 5 — 10 cm thick near the base. Regenerates with long, vigorous shoots 

 from the caudex. Plants examined in August 1908 and 1917 were resting, most 

 apices being dead; the apex in Fig. 25 a is supposed not to develop further. 

 Axillary buds covered by about 9 regular bud-scales. In the beginning of De- 

 cember many plants were in full bloom on the sunny exposed ridges, while still 

 in bud at the edge of the forest. Axillary innovations, quite conspicuous on ac- 

 count of their crimson colour, were then developing below the vegetative-floral 

 region; at the base they are surrounded by persistant bud-scales, followed by a 

 few reduced leaves. Flowering continues through Jan.-March (PI. 72: i); ripe, dark 

 red berries in March — April; by this time vegetative growth has ceased, and most 

 of the apices are dead. Stronger shoots will start to flower in November, the bud- 

 scales functioning as bracts around and above the base of the pedicel, in rare in- 

 stances supporting lateral flowers (P. racemiilosa DC.) 



