AUSTRAL-AMERICAN REGIONS. 



91 



In the distant forest, on the tops and outer branches of the 

 " evergreen birch," a species of mistletoe, Misodendron punctulatum, 

 formed conspicuous spots, by paler-green foliage and tassels of whitish 

 threads. 



The forest was in various places filled with an undergrowth, or 

 almost intermixture of large shrubs, eight to twelve feet high, with 

 the stem an inch often in diameter : consisting of the black-fruited 

 JRlbes or currant, Berheris ilici/olia, the entire-leaved Berheris, the poly- 

 gamous Gassinoid with opposite leaves, and Chiliotriclmm amelloides ; 

 the latter alone extending into the open country, where, like the stray 

 forest-trees, it was uniformly depressed and dwarfed. 



The foliage on trees and shrubs was observed to be evergreen and 

 more or less coriaceous, with two marked exceptions : the Rihes and 

 the entire-leaved Berheris, two shrubs having leaves of tender consis- 

 tence, but whether at any period deciduous could not be ascertained. 



The turf ceasing at the forest-line, with the changed condition of 

 the soil where shaded, a variety of nemoral or woodland plants made 

 their appearance : large Ferns, as a Lomaria, BlecJinum, and Gleichenia ; 

 and more rarely, a few normal herbaceous woodland plants, as the 

 ornamental Gcdopogon ? Lessonii, an Osmorhiza resembling our 0. brevi- 

 stylis, a Ranunculus in moist places, an Epilohlum along streams, and 

 the GaUixine more widely-scattered, but chiefly at home in the forest. 

 The ground within the forest was principally occupied by a moist, 

 humble, though luxuriant growth of Mosses, Hymenophyllums, and 

 Hepaticce ; on stones projecting out of the water of torrents, giving 

 place to the diminutive Oxcdis MageUanica ; and around the base of 

 trees, interlaced in the semi-epidendric masses of a creeping Oxycoc- 

 coid Epacrideous plant. Scattered Lichens, it should be observed, 

 were here and there intermingled among the green diminutive growth 

 of mosses. 



Character and composition of the vegetable growth. The forest 

 occupied but a limited portion of the area of the country ; but from 

 their bulk, the forest-trees contributed very largely to the total mass 

 of growing vegetable substance ; numbering at the same time but 

 three species, two of them Amentacew. 



With such an incongruous element, it is difficult to draw just com- 

 parisons : but after excluding the forest-trees, and the small Crypto- 

 gamous plants, the vegetable growth appeared to consist mainly of 

 four Families, Gomposiice, Graminaceoe, Undjelli/erce, and Ericacece : 



