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230 FLO RA ANTARCTICA. [Fuegia, the
i\-ith the Juan Fernandez plant. St. Ililaii-e and Cambessèdes describe fom- and give figiu-es of three vai'ieties ;
herein they differ from. Jlartius, who considers it the same as J). Whiten, but these authors do not state thcii' reasons
(‘ Plantes Usuelles de Brésil,' Tab. 26-28), and neither in the plates or descriptions do any characters appear
whicli are not common to some of the Chilian and Fuegian specimens : their vai'. sylvatica coincides with Juan Fernandez
specimens ; the var. montana has smaller leaves than any foimd ou the west coast of the continent. Chamisso
aud Schlechtendahl, in their notes upon the Mexican plant collected by Schiede aud Deppe, refer it to B . Granatensis
(Linnæa, vol. v. p. 210 ; vol. \i. p. 417 ; aud vol. x. p. 214.) ; it is identical with B . Mexicana, Mor. aud Sesse,
(PI. Mex. iu DC. Prodr.), aud some of the Chilian examples agree u ith Mexican ones. The effuse panicle and
larger flowers are more characteristic of the northern states of the tree, but these peculiarities afford no specific
distinction. A singular state, with small uaiTOw leaves, remarkably revolute at the margins, has been gathered
in Brazü by Clausseu. The vaiiations in the foliage are too gradual to admit even of the forms being grouped
into varieties indicative of comitries or of other peculiarities, and the glaucous hue of the under smface of the leaves
is equally apt to mislead.
I feel little doubt that this plant extends over no less than 8 6° of latitude, forming at the southern limit
of its growth one of the three trees that advance the nearest to the Antarctic cii'cle, and reaching as high a latitude
as any flowering plant, save the solitai-y grass of the South Shetland Islands. No vegetable production of
its size affords a parallel case to tliis, either in America or any other counti-}'. Such an extraordinarily extended
range is in part obviously due to some peculiaiities in the form aud surface of South America, where under every
degi'ee of latitude there are lai'ge areas either at the level of the ocean or at an elevation where such a tree can enjoy
a climate that is equable. To the influence of the like causes I should attribute the specific identity between some
high northern and southem species, which like the Gentiana prostrata, Trisetum subspieatum, aud other plants mentioned
in the former part of this work (Part i. p. 117), pass along the Andes from the northern temperate or frigid
point to the southem extreme of America.
The Brhnys Winteri is one of those plants which is represented by two closely allied species in other quarters
of the globe, one in Tasmania, the Tasmania aromatica, and the Brhnys axillaris in New Zealand. There are many
instances of genera having representatives in those three botanical regions, the species being in general mutually
more related than to any others, such ai'e afforded by the genera Fagus, Astelia, Abrotanella, by shrubby Veronicas
and many others. This similarity in some of the botanical productions of countries, otherwise unlike in vegetation,
is far more remarkable than a total dissimilarity between lands so far separated, or even than a positive specific
identity would be at first sight ; because it argues the operation of some agent far above our powers of comprehension,
and far other from what we commonly observe to affect geographical distribution.
III. BERBERIDE/E. Vent
1. BERBERIS, Linn.
1. B ebberis ilicifoUa, F o rst.; erecta, spinis tripartitis, fobis obovatis grosse spinoso-dentatis, pedunculis
fobo brevioribus 4-6-floris, pedicebis elongatis subcorymbosis, floribus majusculis, baccis late ovatis
lagenaeformibus, B. ibcifoba, F o rst Comm. vol. ix. p. 2 8 . L in n . F i t Suppl. p. 2 1 0 . BC. Syst. vol. b.
p. 1 2 . Frodr. vol. i. p. 1 0 7 . B. lagenaria, Poir. Diet. vol. vid. p. 619. (Ta b. LXXXVI.)
H ab . Strait of Magalhaens on both sides and throughout Fu eg ia ; Commerson, Forster, and ab future
cobectors.
This is certainly the handsomest species of the genus, forming a straggbng bush, eight feet high, with deep
Falklands, etc.] FLO R A ANTARCT ICA. 2 3 1
green shining leaves and very conspicuous golden yebow flowers. The wood is pale yebow, affording a gamboge
colom-ed dye, the berries of a deep steel blue colom-, and few in comparison to the size of the flower.
P late LXXXVI. Fig. 1, a flower; fig. 2, a petal and stamen removed from the flower; fig. 3, p is til:^ a b
2. B EHsmis buxi/olia, L am .; erecta, ramosa, spinis tripartitis, fobis oblongo-lanceolatis obovatisve
planta jnniore majoribus petiolatis pungentibus bic bbc spinoso-dentatis seniore minoribus plerumque integerrimis
acutis post anthesin coriaceis, pedicebis 1—3-floris, bacca globosa. B. buxifoba, Lamarck, Illu st.
t. 253. f. 3. BC. S y s t Veg. vol. ii. p. 15. Prodr. vol. i. p. 107. Hook, et A m . in Bo t. Miscell. vol. iii.
p. 136. B. microphyba, Forst. Comm. vol. ix. p. 29. B. dulcis. Sweet, Hort. B riia n n . 2nd Series, vol. i.
t. 100. B. inermis, Pers.? Fnck. vol. i. p. 387. BC. Proch. vol. i. p. 107.
H ab. Strait of Magabiaens and tliroughout Fu eg ia ; Commerson, and aU subsequent cobectors.
This is a variable species, especially in the fobage, exhibiting a different aspect at different seasons of the year.
In spring, when the flowering commences, fascicles of new leaves are produced, which are pale green, membranous,
and en th e; at this period the leaves of the former season begin falling whbe those of the present yeai- graduaby become
larger, stiffer, coriaceous, and generaby mucronate or pimgent at the apex. They are not ftdly developed tib autumn,
when they are generally quite entire, attenuated at the base, aud shortly petiolate, about half an inch long, rigid and
coriaceous, reticulated on the upper sm-face; during the fobowing spring these in theii- tm-n fab away. In seedbng
plants the leaves are larger than at any future time, on long petioles, broader, and here and there furnished with
spinous teeth. The flowers are generaUy in thi-ees, but sometimes sobtai-y, pale yebow. The berries, about the size of
a smab pea, were much used for tarts by the officers of the ‘ Beagle ’ and found excebent. The B. dulcis, of Sweet,
agrees with the common form of this plant, except that the flowers are larger in that author’s figm-e and the pubescence
of the pedicels not visible in the wild specimens. The B. inermis seems a variety, some of the specimens
being quite unarmed ; indeed the spines of this genus afford but an mconstant character.
P late LXXXVII. (Under the name of B. micropJiylla). Fig. 1, a flower; fig. 2, petal and stamen removed
from the same; f g . 3, pistils :—ab magnified.
3. B ebbebis empetrifolia, Lam. Illu str. t. 253. f. 4. BC. Syst. Veg. vol. ii. p. 16. Prodr. vol. i.
p. 107. Hook, et Arn. in Bot. Miscell. vol. iii. p. 136.
ILib. Strait of Magabiaens; common iu alpine woods; Commerson. P o rt Famine; Capt. King.
Tliis species is more characteristic of a di-y cbmate than of the moist wooded country of Fuegia and Southwest
Chili. The Strait seems to be its southem limit; it inhabits neither the east nor west coasts, but is confined to
the Cordibera itself, from many elevated parts of wliich range we have received it, gathered by Gibies, Cuming,
Macrae, and Bridges; it very probably therefore is a native of the whole length of that range, from lat. 34° to lat. 54°,
descending to the level of the sea at Port Famine, to which poiut the moimtains are continued in one unbroken
chain.
^ ^.1
IV. CRUCIEERÆ, fuss.
1. AR.1BIS, L .
1. A rabis Macloviana, Hook. ; glaberrima, basi ramosa, fobis inferne dentato-serratis radicabbus longe
petiolatis oblongis obtusis caiibnis sensim nbuoribus, supremis sessilibus bneari-oblongis, floribus in corjTU-
bum deusiun dispositis, sepalis obtusis extus liirsutis pediceUum æquantibus, petabs albis spathulatis, siliquis