110 



CARL SKOTTSBERG, A BOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



is able to soak up and retain the rain-water, tlius making it possible for the plant 

 to grow vigorously even in the dry heath; however, water is not stored in its 

 tissues, but in the dense felt of old leaves which clothes the stem and in which 

 the roots are literally embedded. The same faculty also appertains to the other 

 members of this association: Abrotanella, Caltha appendiculata, Gaimardia, Oreobolus 

 and Tetroncium. 



8. Port Stanley. I do not give a description of any one locality, but a 

 list of the species accompanying Astelia; their frequency varies considerably in different 

 places. Together they form a dense mosaic; their mode of growth makes the terms 

 for the degrees of frequency less applicable. 



Greg.-soc. Astelia intmila 



Cop.-greg. AbrotanrJla cmar(/inu/a 

 Sol.-coj). Culfha (ipiicndiciilata 

 (jruimarcUa australis 

 OrcohoJus ohfusaugulus 



Sol.-spars. Giinncra mugcUunku 



Marsippospcnnum grandiflornm 

 Eostkovia magellanica 

 Sol. Drosera uniflora 



Tetroncium magellanicum. 



Occasionally other species may also be seen: Empetrum, Gaultheria, Myrteola, 

 Pernettya, a. o. 



Cryptogams : Spliagnum nanoporosum ; Adelanihus unciformis, Cephalozia Du- 

 senii, Lepidozla blepharostoma, chordulifera, LopJiocolea Cookiana, vnagellanica, otiphylla, 

 vasculosa. 



In several places I observed small areas of pure Sphagnetum. Characterstic 

 of such places are: Caltha appeyidiculata, especially in small hollows with Sphagnum 

 fimbriatiim, Myrteola, Marsippospermum and Rostkovia; Jiincus scheuchzerioides and 

 Pratia repens are sometimes seen. 



Cryptogams: Sphagnum fimbriatum v. validius, medium v. congestum, trinitense; 

 Aneura floribunda, Lepidozia blepharostoma, falklandica, Lophocolea monoica, otiphylla, 

 vasculosa. 



Not seldom did we come across water-filled hollows in the Astelia-carpet, 

 undoubtedly corresponding with the Scottish »dubh-lochans» described by Crampton 

 (Veget. of Caithness, p. 52). Sometimes they show no macroscopical vegetation, 

 but genera] ly mosses, Sphagnu^n fimbriatum, Hypnum fluitans a. o. are found and 

 along the margin groups of Marsippospermum or Rostkovia. Their origin is probably 

 the same as that of the »dubh-lochans». 



Tlie Rostkovia-associatioii. 



This kind of vegetation is characteristic of the wettest ground; there are 

 sometimes spaces of open water with mosses and liver-worts. The association in 

 question is confined to the depressions, and the dark colour is due to Rostkovia 

 magellanica which reaches a hight of 1 — 2 dm. It corresponds to what is generally 

 called low-moor. T made few observations on this during the last journey, but 

 only quote what I wrote on it in my previous paper. 



