Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/310

278 that grasses increase in number, proportionally to other natural families, in proceeding from the tropical to the polar regions, though it is on the Savannahs of the warmer temperate zones that they form the most conspicuous traits in the landscape.

Again, New Zealand, Tasmania, and California must be considered the regions of the Pines, if the number of species in a given area were to determine the point; but all the Conifer&aelig; now growing in those three countries, amounting though they do to no less than forty kinds, would not, if planted together, cover the surface that the Scotch Fir does in Europe. The region of the pines is in the latitudes approaching the tropics; these trees diminish, in number of species and in the proportion they bear to other natural orders, when proceeding northwards from thence, and actually cease immediately beyond that point, where, from the abundance of one species, they appear to be most fully developed. It is interesting to every one to know what vegetable production gives a country the peculiar features of its landscape; but attractive or wonderful though those features be, they afford no clue to the botanist, who would understand, not what the vegetation of a country appears to be, but what it really is.

1. MONTIA, L.

1. fontana, L., ''DC. Prodr.'' vol. iii. p. 362. Flora Antarct. pt. 1. p. 13. M. linearifolia, D'Urv. in ''M&eacute;m. Soc. Linn. Paris'', vol. iv. p. 619. M. lamprosperma, Chamisso in Linn&oelig;a, vol. vi. p. 565. t. 7.

Falkland Islands ; D'Urville, J. D. H. Kerguelen's Land; J. D. H.

In the first Part of this work I described the seeds of the varieties of Montia from these two localities, and expressed my opinion that the genus contains but one species, the seeds of which are variable in size and in the surface of the testa. In the Kerguelen's Land individuals they also vary much in shape.

1. BULLIARDA, DC.

1. moschata, D'Urv. in ''M&eacute;m. Soc. Linn. Paris'', vol. iv. p. 618. ''Gaud. in Freyc. Voy. Bot.'' p. 1 38. Fl. Antarct. pt. 1. p. 15. B. Magellanica, ''DC. Bull. Philom.'' n. 49. Till&aelig;a moschata, ''DC. Prodr.'' vol. iii. p. 382. ''Hook. Icon. Plant.'' t. 535. Crassula moschata, ''Forst. Act. G&oelig;tt.'' 9. p. 26.

South Chili and Fuegia, from Cape Tres Montes to Cape Horn; Banks and Solander, Forster, Capt. King, C. Darwin, Esq., J. D. H. Falkland Islands, Gaudichaud, D'Urville, Mr. Wright, J. D. H. Kerguelen's Land, J. D. H.

Invariably a sea-side plant, very abundant on rocky beaches where fresh water enters the sea.

1. RIBES, L.

1. Magellanicum, Poir.; inerme, petiolis pedunculis ramisque junioribus puberulis, foliis petiolatis ovatis v. late ovato-rotundatis basi truncatis v. cordatis trilobis grosse duplicato-serratis junioribus glanduloso-punctatis senioribus impunctatis supra glabriusculis subtus nervis puberulis, racemis multifloris florentibus pendulis fructiferis elongatis s&aelig;pe suberectis, pedicellis brevibus, bracteis ligulatis floribus