102 CARL SKOTTSBERG 



A short description of the insular plant will perhaps be welcome. 



Densely caespitose but slender, dull green. Leaves to 30 cm long, only 

 1,5 — 1,7 mm wide, plicate; sheath glabrous, blade nearly glabrous, with few, 

 long and thin hairs; ligule almost wanting, transition between sheath and blade 

 pilose. Culm with few leaves. Panicle 5 — 10 cm long, multiradiate, contracted; 

 spikelets numerous, short pedicellate, with two complete flowers and a third, 

 terminal, rudimentary one, pilose as the rhachis. Empty glumes acute, very 

 unequal, lower c. 2 mm long, narrow lanceolate, i-nerved, upper about twice 

 as long, broad lanceolate, 3-nerved, floral glume 5 — 6 mm long with broad 

 hyaline margin, shortly bifid with oblique triangular lobes, 3-nerved, with scabrid 

 keel; awn subterminal, 1 — 1,5 mm; palea 3 mm long, oblanceolate, acutely 

 bidentate, 2-keeled with scabrid keels. Anthers 0,5—0,75 mm long. 



Area of distribution: South Chile (Valdivia); Masatierra. 



Bromus L. 



Megalachne, hitherto one of the monotypic insular genera, was reduced 

 to Bromus by PlLGER, tlber einige Gram. 386. The long awns of the empty 

 glumes give a quite characteristic appearance to Megalachne, but, as PlLGER 

 emphasizes, this character alone is not sufficient to separate the two genera. 

 HEMSLEY, Chall. Rep. Bot. I: 3.63 found that Megalachne might be distinguished 

 by the glabrous ovary and the three styles. But while the young ovary is 

 glabrous or nearly so, older stages show rigid hairs covering its apex and 

 surrounding the styles. And the new species, discovered by the writer, has 

 two subapical styles, so that little can be advanced against PlLGER's view. On 

 the other hand, three styles are reported to occur in the section Ceratochloa. 

 On account of the heavily awned empty glumes, Megalachne should be retained 

 as a special section of Bromus. 



11. B. (Megalachne) fernandezianus (Phil.) Skottsb. — Syn. M. Bertero- 

 niana Steud. Syn. I. 237, Johow, Estud. 140; Pantathera fernandeziana Phil. 

 Bot. Zeit. XIV.649; B. megalachne Pilger 1. c. — Fig. 2 i. 



Masatierra: Not uncommon in the eastern and central parts, along the 

 ridges in the montane region, in open glades of the woods, among brushwood 

 etc., hanging down from the rocks and forming quite ornamental patches. — 

 Pto Frances, Loma del Incienso, 360 m, common; El Pangal, on the steep 

 slopes from 250—300 m, also in wet moss by the waterfall; in the gap between 

 Damajuana and Yunque, 580 m (fl. 18 /i2 16, no. 155); V. Colonial, C. Central, 

 c. 570 m; Q. del Monte Maderugo, steep wall, 390 m; Portezuelo de Villagra, 

 common on the ridges, 5—600 m (fl. 3 j 12 16, no. 30); C. Salsipuedes, 400— 600 m, 

 common; Q. Juanango, by the stream, 215 m; B. Villagra, low hill near the 

 camp, c. 200 m. 



Masafuera: in the same kind of places as in Masatierra, but less frequent. 

 Q. de las Casas (Johow), not uncommon on the walls of the gorge, (past fl. 

 n / 2 17, no. 456); Q. de las Vacas (Johow); Q. Angosta, at the waterfall; Q. del 

 Varadero; Q. de la Loberia, along the stream in the forest, 170 m; Las Torres, 

 wet moss mats on the rocks, 1370 m (forma! past fl. u / 2 17, no. 425); C. del 



