Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/286

254 banks overhanging the sea at Berkeley Sound, as to cover them with a mantle of snowy white during the spring month of November. The plant is an excellent antiscorbutic and agreeable pot-herb, though too acid except in tarts and puddings.

1. MAYTENUS, Fenill.

1. Maytenus Magellanicus, Hook. fil.; ramis teretibus pubescentibus, foliis altemis glaberrimis elliptico-ovatis utrinque attenuatis serratis coriaceis, floribus subsolitariis brevissime pedunculatis, bracteolis fimbriatis, calycis segmentis rotundatis, petalis ovato-oblongis obtusis, antheris ovato-cordatis, capsula cornpressa orbiculari-obcordata 2-loculari 2-valvi 2-sperma, seminibus basi arillo albido cupulari donatis, testa crustacea. Cassine Magellanica, ''Lam. Ill''. n. 2590. ''Encycl. Suppl.'' vol. ii. p. 130. Celastrus ? Magellanicus, ''DC. Prodr.'' vol. ii. p. 8. Celastrus Magellanicus, ''Hook. Icon. Plant.'' t. 537. Euthalis lucida, ''Banks et Sol. in Bibl. Banks cum icone.''

Strait of Magalhaens ; Commerson. Port Famine; Capt. King. A plant, in every respect so nearly related to the Maytenus Chilensis, that I think it right to remove it to that genus from Celastrus. The only difference of structure lies in the cells of the capsule of this, having, as far as I can observe, no trace of a second ovule, which exists in the above mentioned species, ripening into a perfect seed. The characters that separate Maytenus from Celastrus are the solitary ovule of the latter, and membranous testa of its seed ; in this plant the testa is nearly crustaceous; while in M. Chilensis, though a Maytenus in habit and in other respects, it is membranous. The size of the arillus is not of rmich importance, in the present species it is short, and fonns a small cup to the base of the seed, and in the Chilian one it nearly envelopes that organ. Natural habit is perhaps most useful in distinguishing some of these genera from others ; nothing can be more unlike the type of the genus Celastrus (C. scandens, L.), than this ; for it not only closely resembles the M. Chilensis (the original species), but others, equally inhabitants of extra-tropical South America.

1. Myginda disticha, Hook. fil.; ramis puberulis distichis divaricatis, foliis glaberrimis alternis disticliis parvis brevissime petiolatis liueari-oblongis subacutis integerrimis marginibus tenuiter recurvis nonnullis apiculatis, floribus axillaribus solitariis brevissime pedicellatis unifloris, capsula coriacea abortu 1-loculari 1 -sperma, arillo membranaceo fere operto.

Strait of Magalhaens ; Port Famine ; Capt. King.

Frutex v. Arbuscula? Rami teretes, pube tenui fuliginoso donati, hie illic cicatrical. Folia perplurima, A unc. longa, omnia horizontaliter pateutia, coriacea, uninerria, supra medio sulcata, emereo-olivacea, sub lente subtilissime nigro-punctata, subtus pallidiora, margine recurvo, suprema apicido calloso terminata. Fores inconspicui ; pedicellis bibracteolatis ; bracteolis margine ciliatis. Calycis segmenta rotundata. Petala immatura calyce bis longiora, ovato-rotundata. Capsula 3-linearis, oblique oblonga, coriacea, lineis atris notata, intus costis 2 oppositis elevatis percursa, hinc spurie bilocidaris. Semen uiucum, capsulam totam implens, fusco-biimneum, vix matiuum, arillo membranaceo undulato fere omnino indutum.

Of this plant I have only the ripe fruit and very young buds : it appears a true Myginda, although with a coriaceous, instead of a bony capsule. The leaves are constantly alternate, as they sometimes appear on the M. rhacoma and M. pallens.