THE \EGETATION OK THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 893 



Loma de los Munozes was given, lies Ouebrada Salsipuedes, in its uppermost 

 part filled with a fern forest, which goes over the ridge, where Blcchnum cycadi- 

 folhon dominates in the undergrowth (St. 17, PI. 58:2). Members of the Rohinsonia 

 assemblage are found wherever the forest dissolves on the steep slopes as well 

 as in the light brushwood. Beyond the Loma lies a hanging valley, facing Valle 

 Ingles and named by us Ouebrada de los Helechos; an almost pure Dickso7iielum 

 fills the bottom of this interesting gulch (St. 19) from about 660 down to 575 m, 

 gradually passing into a forest of the ordinary upper montane type, which extends 

 down to at least 450 m; luma and canelo attain unusually large dimensions, and 

 the rare Pteris semiadnata luxuriates. The gradient is very steep. There is no 

 stream in this gulch. 



F'rom Puerto Ingles to Ouebrada del Juanango. The large and 

 deep twin valley running south from Puerto Ingles once contained fine virgin 

 forest; here is where the last living Santalum was discovered. The distal part of 

 the flat valley floor has no forest left except the small RocJnneria grove observed 

 by me in 1908 (2, pi. 7) and found intact in 191 7. There are some shrubs of 

 Cestriim parqiii L'Her. near the sea. Aristotelia is less plentiful in this valley 

 than in Cumberland Bay, but all open spaces are invaded by weeds (St. 50). 

 From the central ridge both branch valleys are overlooked. The west branch has 

 almost no forest left below 200 m, a few patches of luma and naranjillo and, 

 remarkably enough because they are so easy to get hold of, small groups of 

 Juama. Walking up this valley, one has to cross the most extensive beds of 

 Acaena argeniea seen anywhere. Higher up the forest on the slopes is in much 

 better condition (PI. 88), and from about 380 m it passes into brushwood, a little 

 further on Robinsonia gayaiia appears, and at 475 m, more or less, low and thin 

 brushwood follows the ridge. It is fairly rich in species, among them the rare 

 Colletia spartioides. It was surprising to find Rea pruinata here, so far from the 

 coast. 



Between Puerto Ingles and La Vaqueria towers the dome-shaped Cerro 

 Alto, with its 627 m a conspicuous landmark. On the very steep inland faces 

 are patches of forest. It is to be regretted that we neglected this mountain. A 

 herd of semi-wild cattle roams the Vaqueria valley (hence its name). Toward the 

 sea is degraded grass-land with stray patches of luma, with their compact 

 heads looking as if they had been trimmed (Fig. 6), and higher up a thinned, dry 

 forest. The sharp ridge separating Vaqueria from the Juanango gulch (Fig. 35) 

 is more or less covered with scrub (St. 33), where a few rosette-trees come down 

 to about 300 m, a remarkably low altitude. Juanango has not been eroded to 

 sea-level, but ends in a barranca, over which the stream comes down. The lowest 

 part is barren and full of weeds (St. 51), but a Httle higher up are remnants of 

 what I believe represents native grass-land (St. 45), and at 215 m above sea- 

 level an open stand of lumas and Boeluneria follows the stream (St. 9), passing 

 into the closed luma forest (St. 4) of the typical lower montane type on the slopes. 

 From Ouebrada Juanango to Bahia del Padre. The coast along 

 this reach is a high, vertical cliff wall, falling abruptly into the sea. At the foot 

 of Cerro Chumacera, which looks like a gigantic slab standing on end, are two 



