158 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [FEBRUARY 
block to students of floristics. Apart from species that are more or less cosmo- 
politan, the author holds that alternating glacial climates, advocated by CRott, 
afford the best explanation for the similarity of austral and boreal floras. Since 
glacialists generally reject CROLL’s hypothesis, it is seen how slender a support 
Avzorr’s theory has. ‘To the reviewer, it seems that here, if anywhere, we shall 
be forced to consider, at least as a possibility, Brrqurr’s polytopic (polygenetic) 
theory. 
In connection with the work of ALBorr, brief mention may be made of 
Dusén’s admirable studies in the same region. Dusfn’s earlier work has been 
noted in these pages.? One of his papers? was for the most part a floristic and 
taxonomic account of the flora. A later paper'® presented a more detailed eco- 
logical account of the vegetation, along the line of the short earlier articles. His 
latest paper™® gives an excellent account of the ecological and floristic features 
of western Patagonia. There are three great regions: the evergreen forest, the 
deciduous forest, and the steppe. The evergreen forest resembles that described 
by Atporr, and for New Zealand by Cockayne. Bryophytes, especially liver- 
worts, form a forest floor, sometimes five or six feet thick. Epiphytes reach a 
high degree of development. One or more species of beech everywhere page 
although Drimys Winteri and Libocedrus tetragona are often abundant, 
aig especially in moory soil. Of extraordinary interest is the deciduous eo 
e only one yet found in the southern temperate zone. The dominant tree is 
F agus (Nothofagus) antarctica, the very tree that dominates so much of the ever- 
green forest. Very few cases are known, at least on the lowlands, where one tre¢ 
species dominates in two radically different climatic forest types. The whole 
forest aspect differs, being more parklike, and without the luxuriant undergrowth 
of the evergreen forests. The rich bryophyte carpet of the latter is wholly miss- 
ing. The steppes call for no special mention. Through the work of ALBOFF 
and Dus&n, it is clearly to be seen that the Fuegian and Patagonian vegetation 
is of almost equal interest to the ecologist as the vegetation of New Zealand.— 
H. C. Cow1es. 
ITEMS OF TAXONOMIC INTEREST are as follows: J. Rick (Ann. Mycologici 
2:407. 1904) has described Psendohydnum as a new genus of fleshy fungi from 
South America—A new part of Komarov’s Flora Manshuriae (Acta Hort. 
8 See Bor. Gaz. 24:135. 1897. Also Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 24:179-196. 1898: 
USEN, P., Die Gefasspflanzen der Magellanslander, nebst einem Beitrage 
zur nea der Ostkiiste von Patagonien. Svenska Expeditionen till Magellanslandern®- 
T9000. See Bot. Cent. 85:47-49. 1901 
to DusEN, P., Die A UetaegeTaRe der Magellanslander, nebst einem Beitrag 2UT 
Oekologie der nas iisaeliog Vegetation. Svenska Expeditionen till Magellans- 
landerna 3:351-523. 1903. See ne Cent. 96: 468-469.-1904. Also Engl. Bot. 
Jahrb. 33:litt.28-29. 1903. 
«« Dusén, P., The vegetation of western Patagonia. Reports of the Princeto® 
University Expeditions to Patagonia, 1896-1899. Part I. Princeton. 1903- 
