5. Derivation of the Flora and Fauna of Juan Fernandez 



and Easter Island. 



C. SKOTTSBI^RG. 



With I Map. 



Part 1. 

 THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS. 



Chapter I. 

 Composition, distribution and relationships of the Flora. 



The statements made below are based on the results laid down in vol. II of 

 this work and in a number of papers published from time to time prior to the 

 survey in the tield undertaken by myself and collaborators during a three months' 

 stay in the islands, Dec, 1954-March, 1955. Later on some minor changes 

 will have to be made in the lists of the Vascular Plants, but as they will not alter 

 the conclusions drawn I have preferred not to include them here, more so as the 

 species in question, some of them at least, have to be subjected to a close taxo- 

 nomical study. With regard to the Cryptogams, to be referred to a number of 

 specialists, the revision of the collections will take some time, but even if a few 

 new species will be described, and other additions made to the lists, the pro- 

 portions between the various geographical elements will, I think, remain much the 

 same. 



I. Angiospermae. 



In the islands 42 families are represented of which one, Lactoridaceae, is 

 endemic and monotypic. Until recently Juan Fernandez (Masatierra) was the only 

 oceanic island possessing an endemic family, but after the discovery of the genus 

 Degencria, which forms the monotypical family Degeneriaceae, it shares this 

 honour with Fiji; the Fiji group is, however, not as "oceanic", in the current 

 sense of this word, as Juan Fernandez. 



The largest families are Compositae with 28 (13 gen.), Cyperaceae with 14 

 (7 gen.), and Gramineae with 13 species (10 gen.), but these are very large fami- 

 lies almost everywhere; Campanulaceae (2 gen.) and Juncaceae have 6 (2 gen., 

 but some species of Jiincus may not be truly indigenous), Rubiaceae 5 (4 gen ), 



13 ~ 557857 The Xai. Hist, of Juan Fernandez and Easter Isl. Vol. I 



