it weighs them domi aud checks the progress of the sap, upon a copious supply of which its own contmued
existence depends. This remark applies to many parasites which attaching themselves to the younger branches
thus commence working out their own destruction almost from the earliest stage of their existence.
The open cups terminating the branches of Beech trees, similar to what is figured at P late CV I./. 13, are
frequently to be met with in the woods of Fuegia, and mark the spot where one of these cmious vegetables
flourished ; by collecting water they soon decay, and the branch is killed below for some little distance, but the
mischief caused by so lai-ge a parasite is after all very insignificant, and what no healthy Fagus suffers from.
Myzodendron hrachystachyum is equally abundant in Hermite Island with M. ‘punetulatum, though from the
colom- of its leaves, resembling the common forest foliage, it is by no means so conspicuous an object. I met with
the male plants much more frequently than the female.
Plate CHI. Fig. 1, a young female plant attached to Fagus Forsteri; f g . 2, portion of a female plant with
ripe fruit ; fg . 3, portion of a male stem with flowering aud leaf-bearing branches :— of the natural size.
P l a t e . CV. Fig. 1, portion of a male raceme with bractea and spike of flowers ; f g . 2, a male flower removed ;
f g . 3, vertical section of a stamen ; f g . 4, transverse section of an anther ; f g . 5, very young pollen-gi’aius enclosed
in the poUinic utricle; f g . 6. the same more fuUy developed; fig. 7, an immature grain removed from the utricle;
/ / . 8, mature grain of pollen ; / / . 9, portion of a female raceme with bractea and sp ik e ;/ / . 10, female flower;
f g . 1 1 , transverse section of ovary, shovring the three fissures containing each a seta ; f g . 12, vertical section of the
same ; fig. 13, ovuliferous column removed from the cavity of the ovarium ; f g . 14, a ripe fi’uit ; fg . 15, vertical
section of the same ; / / . 16, column removed from the same with immature pendulous seed and two abortive
ovula ; f g . 17, ripe seed, the albumen sulcated, the broad radicular portion of the embrj'O enveloped in the transparent
membrane ; / / . 18, the same with the membrane and funiculus removed;/ / . 19, vertical section of an
immature seed to show the continuation of the membrane lining the cavity in the albumen in wMch the cotyledons
are lodged; / / . 20, embryo removed; / / . 21, vertical section of embryo showmg the cavity enclosed by the
cotyledons :— all more or less highly magnified.
P l a t e CVI. Fig. 1, a twig of Evergreen Beech with attached germinated seed of M. hrachystachyum ; fig. 2,
twig of Deciduous-leaved Beech with the same ; both of the natural size ; fig. 3, magnified view of the latter ;
fig. 4, embryo on its first contact with the baih, the cotyledons still enclosed in the albumen; f g . 5, the same
attached to the bai’k, with the albumen removed ; fig. 6, vertical section of the same, shewing the outer coat which
spreads over the bark, the sheath which attaches itself to the bark enclosing the cushion-shaped root, and at the
upper extremity the cavity enclosing the plumule ; f g . 7, plumule and vascular tissue descending along the axis of
the embryo; / / . 8, longitudinal section of attached embryo and branch of Fagus, shewing the outer coat applied
to the cuticle, the sheath to the corroded bark and the root penetrating the cellular tissue of mesophloeum; f g . 9,
the same more advanced, the radicle having perforated the bai-k ; fig. 10 , a section of parasite and branch at right
angles to the axis of the latter, shewing the margin of the sheath firmly attached to the lips of the wound and
the radicle applied to the wood; fig. 1 1 , similar section of another specimen, the edges of the bark revolute,
the union of the parasite and Beech very intimate; all more or less highly magnified ; fiy . 12, cup formed on the
branch of a Beech filled by the expanded base of a fuUy grown Myzodendron, the branches of the latter cut off, thus
showing the two series of woody plates; of the natural size; fig. 13, cup left on the Beech after the fall of a
small specimen of Myzodendron :—also of the natural size.
P l a t e CVII. Fig. 1, longitudinal section through the axis of the branch of a Beech, the cup it forms and its
contained parasite ; of the natural size ; fig. 2, vertical section of branch of Myzodendron ; fig. 3, transverse section
of the same, showing the two series of woody plates and papillæ on the epidermis ; fig. 4, transverse section of the
cuticle and one of the papiUæ, shomng the cuticle to be thickened and cellular, pushing the epiphloeum inwards
before it; fig. 5, transverse section of a portion of the stem, in which the scalariform tissue (c) is crossed by masses
of fibrous tissue (i) similm- to that of the Uber; at a. other woody fibres are seen descending in the hark foe
more nsual disposition of the tissues in the stem of this plant is shewn at Plate CTII. ter, f . 1 -.—fuj. 6. a vertical
section of the same through the axis of the stem, showing, at a, a bundle of woody fibres in the bark protected by
very thick cells; at 4. the vessels of the liber in unmediate contact with the wood; at c. the scalaiaform tissue
fomiing the wood :—all more or less liiyUy mmjiiifiei.
P late CVII. 4is, Fig. 7, stem and branches of M. hrachystachyum ; letter a, floivering branches which fall away ;
4 leaf-bearing branch elongating ; c, apex of the stem wliich suffers no further elougation ; /ÿ s . 8 and 9. vertical
sections of stem and branches ; letter A, internode of the third year ; B. internode of the second year; a, apex of
the stem ; 4. nascent buds ; c, brancbcs ; d, vascular bundles of tbe stem ; e, vaaijulai- bundles of tbe branches ; / , scar
left by the fall of the leaf of the previous year ; g, lips of the vaginæ ;—of the natural size : fig. 10 . transverse section
o f l e a f - b e a r i n g branch, showing the sobtary series of vascular bundles; f g .W , the same, more highly magnijied ;
letter a, the cells originating the cuticle ; 4, vessels of Hber ; c, wood ; d. pleurenchyma simüar to that of the fiber ;
yiÿ. 12 , ’transverse section of stem, two years old; letter 4, the outer series of wedges of wood; a. inner ditto ;
d, wedges belonging to a tliird series, placed in the medulla ; x, cavity containing a bud «ore or less magnified.
P l-ate CVII. 1er, Fig. 1. portion of a transverse section of the stem of M. hrachystachyum, five years old ; letter a,
woody ceUs in the hark; 4. vessels ofthe liber; c, alburnum; d, scalariform tissue of tbe wood; e, slender spiral
and other vessels between each layer of wood ; f pleurenchyma simUar to that of the fiber, deposited with the second
and third layers of wood ; g, pleurenchyma deposited during the first year at the same time as the first vessels of
the liber ; h, cellular tissue between the concentric series of wedges ; the letters d, d &c., refer to the same tissues
ill the w’edge of the inuer series, and letter » indicates the p ith ; / y , 2, a vertical slice from the same branch,
including the same tissues viewed longitudinally ; the letters indicate the same tissues as ioflg. 1 .
In the follmving figures the letters indicate the same tissues ; Fig. 3, fif. linearifolium, DC., a portion of a
transverse, and fiy. i , a corresponding longitudinal slice of a stem foiu years old; fig. 6. a, constricted sealarifonn
tissue of wood ; 4, spirally marked vessel from between the layers of wood ; fig. 6, M. qxairiflo-rum, DC., portion of a
transverse, and Jig. 7, portion of a longitudinal slice, from a stem foiu- years old.
S. M yzodendron oilmgifolium., DC.; foliis oblongo-v. lineari-lanceolatis, floribus in racemos axillares
basi folio suffultos dispositis, setis plumosis pericarpio multoties longioribus. M. oblongifolium, DC. Prodr.
vol.v. p. 671. Pcepp.et Endlicher, Nov. Gen. et Sp. Am. p. 1. t. 2. Detessert, Icon. Select, vo l.m . p. 47. t. 80.
H a b . South Cliili and Puegia ; P o rt Pamine, Capt. King.
Omnia if . hraxhystacliyi sed folia elongata et angustiora, setæque pericaipii ter longiores,
Mr. Darivin’s specimens of this have male flowers only, those collected by Mr. Eights and Webster bave ripe
frnit ; all agi-ee with the excellent figure given by M. Decaisne in Delcssert’s leones, in which the position of tbe
seed in the achæniiim alone is inaccurate.
4. M yzodendron quadrifiorum, DC.; ramis florentibus elongatis ramulos alternos 3-5-floros apice
unifoliatos gerentibus, folns parvis late oblongis obtusis, achæniis linearibus, pericarpii setis graciUimis
apicibus denudatis. (Tab. CV II. ter, Pig. 6 and 7.) M. quadriflormn, DC. Coll. Mém. 1 .12. f. 1. Prodr.
vol. iv. p. 286.
ILab. Strait of MagaUiaens, P o rt Famine, Capt. King; Staten Land, M r. Webster.
The flowering ramuli of this species are much elongated, the leaves small, and the filaments of the pericarp
veiy slender, with brown naked apices. A description of the wood is given at p. 300.
P late CVII. ter. Fig. 6 and 7, wood of M. quadrifiorum ; letter h, vessels of the liber ; c, alburnum ; d, scala-
3 u