Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/426

390 Hab. Clionos Archipelago ; C. Danoin, Esq.

Even amongst the Ferns we have much peculiarity attending the Flora of S.W. Chili and Fuegia. I have elsewhere alluded to the botanical division of that line of coast into a northern and southern portion, differing specifically in their productions, but not generically to any very great amount. These two divisions are, 1st, the Valdivian or Chilotian, which stretches from Concepcion to Cape Tres Montes ; and, 2nd, the Magellanic or Fuegian. commencing at Cape Tres Montes and terminating at Cape Horn. From the lower latitude and consequently higher temperature of the northern of these two countries, and from its greater surface, containing also mountains that reach the limits of perpetual snow, its Flora is by very far the richest, including a larger proportion of the Fuegian plants than Fuegia does of the Chilotian. There are also many species, which, though conspicuous in the southern Flora, are either unknown even on the Alps of the northern, or appear there only under very different aspects.

Many more species common to both these divisions, Fuegian plants especially, prevail through the whole line of coast, than its great extent would lead us to expect. This proceeds from a mutual interchange of individuals between two countries whose Floras may be supposed to have been originally quite distinct. The inosculation of the Floras is most conspicuous at Cape Tres Montes and the Chonos Archipelago, and is not accompanied by any tendency in those species, which there come into juxta-position, to change, each into that which represents it in the other. The union or mingling is complete, but there is no blending of two species, no obliteration of specific characters, nothing to indicate either that the peculiar plants of one country have originated from what pre-existed in the other under a different form ; or, still less, that all have sprung from one common source, lower in the scale of organization.

2. Hymenophyllum pectination, Cav., Prcel. 1801, n. 687. Swartz, St/n. Fil, p. 146. Willcl. Sp. PL vol. v. p. 425. Hook. Sp. Fit, vol. i. p. 96. t. 34. D. Hab. Chonos Archipelago, C. Darwin, Esq.

3. Hymenophyllum Wilsoni, Hook., Brit. Flor. ed. 5. p. 446. Wilson, in Engl. Bot. Suppl. t. 2686. Var. y. Hook. Sp. Fil. vol. i. p. 96. Hab. South part of Tierra del Fuego, C. Danoin, Esq. ; Herinite Island, Cape Horn, J. D. H.

Falkland Islands, quartz rocks on the hills, J. D. H.

Found in all the four quarters of the globe, also in Australia and New Zealand.

4. Hymenophyllum Chiloense, Hook., Sp. Fil. vol. i. p. 90. t. 32. B.

Hab. Chonos Archipelago ; C. Darwin, Esq.

The specimen in Mr. Darwin's herbarium is very small, but I think referable to this species ; certainly to no other published one.

5. Hymenophyllum caudiculatnm, Martius, PL Crypt. Bras. p. 102. t. 67.

Var. ;3. Hook. Sp. Fil. vol. i. p. 102.

Hab. Chonos Archipelago ; C. Darwin, Esq.

6. Hymenophyllum tortuosum, Banks et Sol., MSS. Hook, et Grev. Ic. Fil. t. 129. Hook. Sp. Fil. vol. i. p. 99.

Hab. Chonos Archipelago, C.Darwin, Esq.; and throughout Fuegia, Banks and Sola nder, 8fc.

One of the most common Antarctic American ferns, from the latitude of Valdivia to Cape Horn.