CARL SKOTTSBERG 



I have counted the subspecies Luzula *i?isularis, Margyricarpus *digynus, Dysop- 

 sis *hirsuta and Plantago *Skottsbergii among the species, while the less marked 

 endemic forms or varieties of some species were left out of consideration. 

 The endemism in the different islands is illustrated below. 



As seen above, 50 % of the endemic species are found only in Masatierra, 33 % 

 only in Masafuera, and 1 % (Chenopodium Sanctae Chirac) only in Santa Clara; 

 only 12 species (12 %) are common to Masatierra and Masafuera. Thus, the 

 floristic difference between the islands appears still more pronounced when it 

 comes to the endemic species. And it may be added that of the 10 endemic 

 genera 8 are found exclusively in Masatierra and 2 in both islands, so that 

 Masafuera does not possess any special endemic genus. These questions will 

 be dealt with further in another paper. 



Finally, I wish to draw attention to the fact that so many of the endemic 

 types are very scarce; I am sure that all the existing specimens of some of 

 the rarest plants may be counted without much labour. Of species from Masa- 

 tierra, Podophorus bromoides and Phrygilanthus Berteroi have not been found 

 by later collectors and no exact locality is known. Greigia Berteroi, Cheno- 

 podium Crusoeanum, Eryngium inaccessum, E. fernandezianum and Dendroseris 

 macrantha were reported from one locality each: of the latter two only 2 speci- 

 mens could be found, and all are very scarce. Other very rare plants are 

 Peperomia margaritifera, Selkirkia, Plantago fernandezia, Robinsonia thurifera 

 and Centaurodendron. One or more of these will probably share the fate of 

 Santalum fernandeziamim, which seems to be extinct. In one or two cases 

 I could not secure as much material as I wanted for fear of destroying the 

 species altogether. 



At present the wild flora is more or less protected, as cutting of wood 

 for fuel is very limited and the supply mainly filled by the worst enemy of the 

 wild flora, Aristotelia maqui; still, the consumption is far from sufficient to 

 check the progress of the latter. To judge from Chilean newspapers, a new 

 peril now seems to be imminent. It is reported that Masatierra will become 

 converted into a pleasure resort with large hotels etc. Fortunately enough, 

 there is no good bathing beach, and much money is needed to build roads 

 comfortable enough for the average tourist, so that there is some hope that 

 little will be done during the present financial crisis. 



In Masafuera, also some species seem to be rare. Peperomia Skotisbergii, 

 Ranunculus caprarum and Cardamine Kriissclii were found in one locality each; 



