88 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



In proceeding towards the Interior, the face of the country proved 

 in great part a succession of bogs, dammed up by contractions between 

 rising ground, and containing pools much resembling those artificially 

 formed by removing peat. Some of the most watery of these bogs 

 contained traces of SpJiaguum, in a few scattered handfuls; while 

 everywhere around, i\\e Melantlilam? pnmihwi in a matted carpet ex- 

 tended for acres both over the bog and adjoining portion of the upland. 

 The general surface of the country presented a coating of congested 

 alpine plants, distinguished into small patches; in some species flat- 

 topped, in others swelling in slightly-projecting bundles, but the 

 crowded and impacted leaves forming an even surface : these congested 

 social species consisted principally of Oreoholus ; Gaimardia Austrulis ; 

 Wiisena MageUanica^ like a congeries of combs sunken with the points 

 upwards ; two or more species of one-flowered Plantago ; four or five 

 congested Gomposike, the minute flower hardly distinguishable in the 

 crown of leaves ; Donatia fascicuJaris ; several sessile-flowered Umbel- 

 liferas belonging to Bolax and Azorella ; two or three species of gen. 

 Sag moid ; Forstera mmcifolia ; a coM^/e/^er of Caltha ? appendiculata ; 

 and even a Viola growing in large congested alpine bunches, and re- 

 markable besides for its abnormal bilobed leaves. Throughout the 

 whole extent of this congested growth, certain diminutive plants were 

 intermingled singly, and were therefore less conspicuous : as, Nano- 

 dea already-mentioned; a second M isandra ; Pemettya empetrifolia and 

 another diminutive £'r/caceoMs plant ; Pratia repens ; Mijrtus nummu- 

 laria; Rabiis geoides ; and other plants : while growing at intervals, 

 some genuine Mosses and Lichens. 



On more closely examining the spongy turf, the included vegetable 

 substances were found to decay with extreme slowness; leaves dead 

 for a very long series of years, still adhering underground to the 

 stems of the alpine plants. Of these alpine plants, presenting a mere 

 area of hard even surface, some proved to be real underground shrubs ; 

 their crowded branchlets uniting downwards in a stout woody stem. 

 On the other hand, the one-flowered Plantagos were observed to have 

 their seeming branchlets fleshy, and each congested alpine bunch 

 proved to be a many-crowned root. 



This impacted vegetable growth was mistaken for mosses by the 

 sailors : and a good idea of its humidity may be gathered from the re- 

 mark of one of my companions, that he "had never before seen rushes 

 growing upon high ground:" the "rush" in question, Juncus? grandi- 



