356 FLOKA ANTAECTICA. [F u eg ia , t i e
berry, twining branches, and differently nerved leaves, in ab which respects it is more evidently a genns of
Suilaceu:, than either Callixene or Fliileeia. There is no reason for supposing Dombey’s Capia to be other limn
I t appears to me to be thi-ough these Antai-ctic and extra-tropical American genera, together with the Callixene
of New Zealand and Fryttophila of Tasmania, that the Smilacece, Limb., are inseparably connected with the Tribe
Asparageoe, Lmdl., of L'diacece ; groups wliich Dr. Lindley has placed in separate natural classes, on the ground
chiefly of anatomical differences m their stems : and it further appears that all modifications of a stem typical of
Endogens and one equaby cbai-acteristic of Dictyogens may be traced amongst these plants.
My own observations on the wood of Philesia do not exactly lead to the conclusions that the leai-ned author of
the ‘ Vegetable Kingdom ’ has formed ; what appeai-s to be bark is at no period separable from the subjacent wood,
and the pith is of undefined form. There is a resemblance between the bark of Philesia and that of an exogenous
stem, but it is apparent and not real ; the stem consists of one mass of cellular tissue, throngh which bundles of
vascular tissue descend, between the axis and the cuticle; abundantly towai-ds the latter, where they aU coalesce,
though always at a bttle distance within the cb-cumference ; more sparingly towards the axis, wbere a space is often left
ivbolly unoccupied with woody fibres. A transverse section of such a stem thus presents. 1st, a cuticle ; 2nd, a zone
of cebidar tissue, often formed of thick waUed cebs ; 3rd, a zone of wood, dense and defined externaUy, graduaUy
laxer towards the axis aud separatmg into bimdles which irregularly smnoimd a central coliimn of pith. The only
difference, in shoi-t, between tbis and any other Endogenous stem, consists in the first-formed or outer bundles bemg
disposed more symmetiicaUy, and being combined into one zone.
If a branch of Luzuriaga radicans be examined, the same peciibarity wib be perceived, with only this difference,
that the zone of wood is nairow-er and the pith broader. In Callixene polyphylla, the woody zone, though stUl
contmuous, is naiTOwer stib. In C. parvijlora both its edges (both inner and outer circumference) ai-e clearly
defined ; and in C. marginata it is sometimes interrupted.
The Callixene marginata thus shows this disposition of the outer vascular bundles to unite in the lowest degree
ot these South American Srnilaceoe, but in Lapageria the same tendency wbl be found in its highest, for the stem of
that plant is almost whoby composed of woody matter, concentrated externaby into a web-defincd zone, rather looser
towards the centre, and enclosing large tracheæ -with very bttle cebular tissue intermixed. Externally to the wood
is a very narrow layer of condensed parenchyma. In the first year’s twig of this plant, the cebular tissue is pro-
portionably abimdant, with separate vascular bundles scattered through it, but is absorbed or obbterated afterwards.
Nor is it ill the genera of South iVnierica alone that these woody bundles are thus ai-ranged, it is so in tho Geitoim-
plesium (Luzuriaga cgrnosa, Br.) of New Holland, and in Brymophila, Br. ; and even neai-er home in Cmvallaria
and probably in many Convallarieoe. To the last mentioned group the above named genera most assuredly belong ;
whether the venation be parabel as in Callixene, parabel and retóse between the costæ as in Lapageria, or wholly
retóse as that of Philesia appears to be, from the two lateral of the three parabel eostæ forming the thickened
margin of the leaf.
On the other hand, if we turn to the Smilacere proper, as bmited by Dr. Lindley, even they display no more
deviation fi-om the common Endogenous stmcture than do the Convallarieoe. A young shoot of Rkipogonum shows
the same disposition of the woody and cebular tissue as Callixene polyphylla, with rather a broader zone of cebular
tissue surrounding tbe w-ood ; but in an older stem of tbe some, the wood so predominates over the parenchyma,
that the zone of cebular tissue is only distinguisbed witb cbfflculty. In the Smilax excelsa, L., of Europe, tbe
woody zone of tho young branch is neither so continuous nor regular, but it becomes so in the older state of the
plant. Tanms communis presents the same an-angement. In the young stem of Testudinaria elepliantipes I do not
find the meduUary plates deseribed by Dr. Lindley ; there appears to me to be a broad and perfectly continuous
zone of wood, sending six or eight prolongations towards the axis, where there are further a few irregularly disposed
bundles. I shall conclude this long digression by instancing the genus Juncus as of the furthest removed from
FalMands, etc] F LO EA ANTAECTICA. 357
Dictyogens in every point of view, except that it possesses an equally contmuous and defined zone of woody tissue,
within the cuticle, separated from the latter by a zone of parenchyma, and enclosing a mass of pure pith.
The Philesia huxifolia is among the handsomest plants of the Antarctic American Flora ; it occurs along the
coast from the Strait of Magalhaens to Valdivia ; to the northwai-d of which, between Valdivia and Concepcion, it
is replaced by the Lapageria rosea.
LIII. ASTELIEÆ, Brongniart.
1. ASTELIA, Banks et Sol.
1. A s t e li a pumila , Broivn, Prodr. p. 291. Gaud, in Ann. Se. Na t. vol.v. p. 100. et in Freye. Toy.
Bot. p. 132. B ’ Urv. in Mém. Soc. L in n . Paris, vol. iv. p. 603. Fl. An ta re t. vol. i. p. 76. Melanthium
pumilum, Forst. Comm. Goett. vol. ix. p. 30. t. 6 . B ank s et Sol. MS. in Mus. Bank s, cum icone. Euiikia
Magellanica, Willd. M a g .N a tu r f.F r .sU i.’à .-ÿ .V è . (Tab. CX XV II).
H a b . South Chili, from the Chonos Archipelago to Cape Horn, very abundant on th e hiHs and in
exposed places, Commerson, and all future voyagers ; Falkland Islands, Gaudichaud, Sgc.
Under the description of A . linearis, in the first part of this volume, I mentioned that the placentation varies
in the different species of this genus. In the majority, the ovules are numerous and arranged in two bnes upon
parietal placentæ ; in one the seeds are numerous and pendent from the summit of a one-celled berry, whose dissepiments
have probably been absorbed ; a tlifrd form presents a three-ceUed ovarium, with several ovules pendulous
from tbe summit of each cell ; a fourth has a three- to six-ceUed subcapsular fruit, with a few pendulous seeds in
each cell ; while the present plant offers a fifth modification, for its placentation is decidedly axfle, and tbe ovules are
arranged in two rows along tbe inner angle of e.ach of tbe three cells. This arises from the perfect consolidation
of the carpels in a young state, when the edges of each carpeUary leaf are so inflected as to meet in the axis of the
pistil, where a triangular longitudinal cavity is often left (see flg. 5 of Plate CXXVII.). At an early period the
cavity of each capsule is not apparent, the ovules being imbedded in a cebular mass, which in this species retii-es
from between and around the ripening seeds, leaving a distinct cavity as the fruit advances to maturity, but in
some others remains, pai-tly attached to the placentæ and seeds, as a mucUaginons or gummy mass. At no time is
the fruit of this plant truly even sub-capsnlar, its walls are always fleshy, and no trace of dehiscence can be seen
along the furrows of each carpel, from which the seeds escape by the decay of the pericarp.
I have followed M. Brongmai-t in placing this genus by itsoff in a natural group, whose nearest affinities 1
have indicated hr the first part of this work.
The Astelia pumila is a most abundant Fuegian and Falkland Island plant, forming, with the Caltha appendiculata
especiaby, a large proportion of the peat in those countries. Its flowers are inconspicuous, and have a
faintly sweet smeb.
P l a t e CXXVII. Fig. 1, three-flowei-ed peduncle, bract and flower; f g . 2, flower removed; fig. 3, pobeii ;
fig. 4, ovai-iiim ; / ¡ 7. 5, transverse section of tbe same; f g . 3 and 7, ovules ; yfy. 8, ripe fruit ; / y . 9, transverse
section of ditto ; f g . 10, ripe seed ; yfy. 11, tbe same witb tbe outer osseous integument removed ; yfy. 12, the same,
cut longitiidiiially ; fig. 13, embryo ;— ab magnified.
LIV. JUNCEÆ. DC.
1. ROSTKOVIA, Besv.
1. R ostkovia grandiflora. Hook, f il; in Fl. Antarct. vol. i. p. S2. Marsippospermum culyculatum,
Desv. But. fourn. vol. i. p. 330. M. grandiflornm. Hook. Je. P lant, t. 533. Juncus grandiflorus, L in n . f l .
4 L