868 



G. SKOTTSBERG 



Fig. 27. Oc/uii^ai'ia elegaus flowering in the Goteborg Botan. Garden. — Photo T. Nathorst- 



Windahl, April 1944. 



More or less prostrate and suffrpiticose ciiamaephytes. 



Acaena ovalifolia Ruiz et Pav. subsp. auslralis Bitter. Rosaceae. In open 

 places in the forest region of both islands, to 600 m above sea-level on Masa- 

 tierra and in the Alpine grass-land of Masafuera, where it ascends to about 1350 m; 

 everywhere very scarce. Matted, suffruticose. With flowers and fruit Dec. — Feb. 



Acaena uiasafuerana Bitter. Only in the Alpine region of Masafuera, iioo— 

 1350 m, very local. Suffruticose, forming low carpets (PI. 114). With flowers and 

 fruit Feb. — March. 



Erigeron rupicola Phil. Endemic on Masafuera, not uncommon on the coast 

 cliffs. A dwarf subshrub with a stout, woody tap-root; loosely branched from 

 the base; branches slender, decumbent-ascending, to 20 cm long. Seen in bloom 

 from end of February until the middle of March. 



Spergularia confertiflora Steud. All islands, on the dry sunny cliffs and 

 slopes near the sea, ranging west on Masatierra to Bahia del Padre and Punta 

 Larga. A small suffruticose, densely leafy perennial, erect to spreading. Probably 

 with flowers and capsules at any time. 



With regard to the behaviour of this and the following under cultivation, see p. 

 779 of this volume. 



Spergularia masafuerana Skottsb. Only observed in the stony grass-land at 

 the entrance to the Casas valley, Masafuera. As the former. 



Myrteola 7iuinmulayia (Poir.) Berg. Myrtaceae. Only in the Alpine region of 

 Masafuera, 1 100 — 1400 m, rather scarce. A trailing, dorsiventral, small-leaved dwarf 

 shrub, with the habit of Vaccimiwi oxycoccus. W^ith the last flowers and with 

 ripe berries in Feb. — March. PI. 115:2. 



Rubiis geoides Sm. Masafuera, with Myrteola and Acaena masafuerana, not 

 uncommon. A trailing, dorsiventral dwarf shrub. With fruit in February. 



