1961, is still under construction. During the winter of 1965, approximately 40 men wintered at the Chile-United States station and, during this resupply period, nearly 100 Botanical Expedition to were present. The station is located on a large and relatively flat area of exposed rock, with ready ac- Juan Fernandez Islands, 1965 cess to the plateau. The station facilities are spread out, and every precaution is being taken to reduce snowdrift problems. Some buildings are raised on FREDERICK G. MEYER1 stilts. The location permits the resupply vessels to U. S. National Arboretum berth against a low ice shelf to the west of the Washington, D.C. station, and convenient aircraft runway facilities are located on the plateau behind the station. Introduction The next morning, after returning to Fuji for the The archipelago of Juan Fernández holds great night, the Japanese party flew by helicopter to Ob. interest to botanists on account of the high endemism The Captain of Ob entertained the Japanese of the flora (70 percent for the vascular plants) and and took them on a tour of his ship. In return, a the interesting geographic affinities with far-flung Soviet group, including the expedition leader, the areas of the Pacific, such as New Zealand and senior officers of Ob, the incoming and outgoing Hawaii, and with the Magellanic flora of Chile, the station leaders of Molodezhnaya, and several other Andes and Mexico. Located near 33°45S. 79-80°W. members of the expedition, were flown to Fuji, and 400-485 miles west of Valparaiso, Chile, the where they were shown the ship and entertained. three principal islands, in order of size, are Mas a It had been intended to depart February 5 for Tierra2 ("Landward"), Mas Afuera2 ("Farther Llltzow-Holm Bay for a last visit to Showa, but a out"), and Santa Clara, with a total area of about severe blizzard (the only one of the season) oc- 80 square miles. A possession of Chile, the group curred with winds gusting to 45 m./sec. (95 mph). lies west of the Humboldt Current and enjoys a The last of the summer personnel were picked up at salubrious oceanic climate, frost free, at least at Showa on February 7 and, after a final farewell visit sea level, and with heavier rainfall than the adjacent to the station, Fuji sailed westward. With almost no mainland of Chile at the same latitude. Snow was last pack ice left, progress was steady on Breid Bay. On observed on Mas Afuera in September 1963, but is February 9, contact was made with the Belgo-Dutch unknown on Mas a Tierra. The islands are of Expedition at Roi Baudouin. Weather prevented an volcanic origin. Darwin, in The Voyage of a Natural- exchange of visits until February 10, when five mem- ist Round the World in H.M.S. "Beagle," remarks bers of the Belgo-Dutch party came aboard Fuji on the submarine connection between Juan Fernán- briefly. The ship sailed again on February 11. dez and the coast of Chile during periods of earth- quakes, but there is no evidence of a land connec- Fuji proceeded westward to 69°30S. 1130E., tion between them,. The sea at various points be- where the course was changed (on February 13) to tween the islands and the mainland forms one of north-northeast for Cape Town, South Africa. Ocean- the deepest troughs in the eastern Pacific. ographic stations were made every five degrees of The islands were discovered in 1574 by Juan latitude north to 40°S. After an uneventful voyage Fernandez, a Spanish navigator, who introduced the which was broken only by a visit to a division of first goats and, presumably, the first weeds. On the Japanese whaling fleet, Fuji docked at Cape Más a Tierra, a Jesuit colony existed from 1580 to Town on February 24, 1966. 1596, probably at Cumberland Bay (fig. 1), but a The return of the Japanese to year-round activities permanent settlement was not established until the in Antarctica was crowned with success. The ice- end of the 19th century. Langouste trapping and breaker, Fuji, proved to have substantial logistic sup- fishing now support the present population of about port capability. The old Showa Station was well re- 700 residents, many of whom were born at Cumber- established with new buildings, a good science pro- land Bay. On Más Afuera, some 25 itinerant fisher- gram, and a fine group of men to operate it during men and their families live for about 8 months of the winter of 1966. The expedition reflected a high dedication to the purpose of antarctic exploration 1 In collaboration with other United States members of and science, and it demonstrated good planning and the expedition. a thorough knowledge of antarctic operations. Every By Chilean Presidential Decree No. 130 of January 13, courtesy was extended to the U. S. Antarctic Re- 1966, Más Afuera was renamed Isla Alejandro Selkirk and Más a Tierra, Isla Robinson Crusoe. Owing to the late search Program representative in the best tradition arrival of this information at the editorial office, the former of antarctic cooperation. names have been retained throughout Dr. Meyers paper.

238 ANTARCTIC JOURNAL Uncontrolled grazing, particularly by goats and sheep, is thought to be one cause for the extreme rarity of some of the indigenous flowering plants. Some plants recorded by Skottsberg about 50 years ago were not seen at all, or only as isolated specimens, during the present expedition. A sooty mold plus an associated insect (Saissetia oleae) are thought to have effected the decrease of the Luma (Myrceugenia schulzei), the principal forest tree on Mas Afuera. Coatis (Nasua), a carnivorous, rac- coon-like mammal, have also been introduced with an equally bad effect on the endemic birds. The is- lands are without any indigenous species of mammal. Despite the alarming ecological changes affecting the native vegetation, only one species, the Sandalwood (Santalum fern andezianu m), which was cuf out for its fragrant wood, is known to have become extinct. Other plants of no economic value are highly threatened and are becoming increasingly rare. The islands were designated a National Park of Chile in 1935, but little progress has been made in (Photo: F. G. Meyer) conserving the native vegetation. Fig. 1. Cumberland Bay. During the long period of buccaneers, Juan Fer- nández was a regular stop for the victualing and the year at Quebrada de las Casas during the careening of ships. The most famous resident during langouste trapping season. The introduced animals this period was Alexander Selkirk, who lived on on Más Afuera include several thousand goats, some Más a Tierra from 1704 to 1709, and whose cattle, and a few horses. On Mas a Tierra, a count adventures inspired Defoes well-known tale of Rob- of 20 years ago reported 5,000 sheep, 600 cattle, inson Crusoe. The incident is commemorated by a 500 goats, and 300 horses; rabbits also occur. Santa brass plaque at Portezuelo de Villagra above Cum- Clara, without permanent water, is uninhabited ex- berland Bay and by two endemic genera of flower- cept for sheep and rabbits. ing plants, Selkirkia and Robinsonia. Mas a Tierra and Mas Afuera have also served as penal settle- ments at various times. Fig. 2. Quebrada de las Casas. The earliest plant collections, made by Mrs. Maria (Photo: F. G. Meyer) Graham (later Mrs. Callcott), date from 1823. She is commemorated by the plant Escallonia callcottiae. David Douglas, a Scot, was the first botanist to visit the islands (1824). He was followed by Carlos Bertero (1830), Claude Gay (1832), Philibert Germain (1854), E. C. Reed (1869-1870), H. N. Moseley (1875), Federico Johow (1890s), and Carl Skottsberg (1908, 1916-1917, and 1954-1955). About 20 persons had made plant collections on Juan Fernández prior to the present expedition. Per- sonnel of the Goodspeed Expeditions of 1938 and 1940 from the University of California were the last U.S. botanists to collect plants on Juan Fernández. On both occasions visits were made to Más Afuera to collect the wild tobacco (Nicotiana cordifolia), an endemic species now extremely rare and found in flower only once in 1965. General accounts of the flora have been published by Philippi (1856) and Johow (1896). The latter was the first to recognize plant communities, and his book is illustrated with excellent lithographs of the plants and terrain. Skotts-

September-October, 1966 239 bergs The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and period of November 26 to December 27, a total Easter Island (1920-1956) is the most definitive of 32 days. account of the flora to date. Skottsberg was a pro- Brief Itinerary lific collector in all groups, with an intense interest in the Juan Fernandez flora, in other insular floras November 23—The expedition sailed from Val- of the Pacific Basin, and in those of southern South paraiso aboard USNS Eltanin. In the early morning America. of the third day, Más a Tierra, the largest island of Juan Fernández, was sighted. In late afternoon The 1965 Expedition of the same day and 90 miles farther west, the The Chile-United States Botanical Expedition to vessel anchored off Quebrada de las Casas (fig. 2) Juan Fernández, under National Science Founda- on the western side of Más Afuera. This farthest tion sponsorship, was conceived by Carlos Muñoz west island of the archipelago rises out of the sea as Pizarro of the Museo de Historia Natural, Santiago, a block of volcanic rock now much dissected by Chile, during the International Botanical Congress "quebradas" (rugged canyons and ravines) which at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1964. The timing of the radiate seaward from the center of the island. Mas expedition was propitious in view of related investi- Afuera is about six miles long by three miles wide, gations under the U. S. Antarctic Research Program oval in shape, and oriented almost due north-south. on problems of distribution and origin of biota in With an overcast and very gray sky, the island the southern oceans. Known to biologists as one of from the sea appeared in shadowy outline, shrouded the most isolated and remarkable island groups in the in low clouds and mist, signalling an oncoming Pacific, the islands of Juan Fernandez are 4,700 storm. Although the sea was running fairly high, miles from New Zealand, 400 miles west of Chile, debarkation of personnel and unloading of 15 tons 2,300 miles north of Antarctica, and 5,500 miles from of camping and collecting gear were undertaken Hawaii. In spite of earlier botanical collecting, going without incident. Landing at Q. de las Casas is back nearly a century and a half, many areas on the often precarious with no protection from rocks and islands are still botanically unexplored. Collect- surf other than a small landing slip where the fishing ing on Juan Fernandez is very time-consuming boats normally land. Altogether, unloading was owing to the rough and difficult terrain, and most spread over 7 1/2 hours divided between parts of two visits have been very brief. The Magellanic element days. A suitable camping site was found in 0. de las of the flora on the summit of Mas Afuera, for Casas along the stream about a quarter of a mile example, is only barely known. from the settlement. The scientific personnel of the 1965 expedition The higher parts of Mas Afuera, in some places, included four Chileans and eight United States resemble a domeshaped plateau. In most areas below botanists under the overall leadership of Carlos 1,000 meters, the slopes are extremely steep, often Muñoz Pizarro. The Chilean group included in excess of 60°. Vertical cliffs are common around Nibaldo Bahamonde N. (marine biologist), Fernando the perimeter, and the western side of the island Saravia B. (forester), and Eugenio Sierra R. (botan- drops from heights of over 1,200 meters almost ical illustrator), all representing the Museo de Historia directly to the sea. The quebradas on the western Natural in Santiago. The United States group in- side are thus very short and difficult to reach except cluded Raymond Hatcher (bryophytes) and his assist- from the summit of the island. Streams in the ant, John Engel, of the University of Wisconsin quebradas dry up during part of the summer (Milwaukee) ; Henry A. Imshaug (lichens and fungi), months (November-March). Our arrival coincided assisted by Dennis Jackson (fresh-water algae), of with the end of a prolonged dry period, but rainfall Michigan State University; Frederick G. Meyer was plentiful and all of the streams were full of (introduced plants and ferns) of the U. S. National water throughout our stay. Arboretum; Harold E. Moore, Jr. (palms) of the The vegetation of Mas Afuera falls into two gen- Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University; and Otto eral categories: (1) the quebrada flora at sea level Soibrig (flowering plants) and his assistant, James to about 1,000 meters and (2) the Magellanic flora, Walker, of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard Univer- confined to elevations mainly above 1,000 meters. sity3 . This joint inter-American undertaking, the With a higher rainfall above 250 meters, the greatest first to include specialists in cryptogams, was the concentration of interesting flora is found above this most elaborate botanical expedition ever to visit the elevation. At sea level, where it is drier, the flora Juan Fernandez Islands. Collecting dates covered the is less rich and has suffered greatly from spoilage by humans, animals, and weed encroachment. The Dr. Soibrig is now with the Department of Botany, upper slopes of the island and the western side are University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. constantly wet throughout the year. The innermost

240 ANTARCTIC JOURNAL parts of the quebradas are lush with ferns, Gunnera, Berlin-Dahiem Museum, climbed this mountain in and other moisture-loving plants. The Luma (Myrce- 1961. ugenia schulzei) is the most common forest tree and The shore of Mas a Tierra is extremely rocky is found in depressions and on protected slopes. On and often too narrow or precipitous for foot travel. the open slopes above 250 meters, a fern, Lopho- In some places, the cliffs rise nearly 250 meters soria quad ripinnata, dominates all other native vertically from the sea. In order to carry out a vegetation. On the summit of the island, the flora is satisfactory survey of the plants of Más a Tierra, a represented by species with strong Magellanic affin- boat is essential. ities, such as Empetrum rubrum, Nertera granadensis, Santa Clara, the smallest island, and El Morro del A caena masafuerana, Ranunculus caprorum, Lageno- Spartan, a small islet separated by a narrow tidal phora hariotii, Rubus geoides, Pernettya rigida, channel adjacent to Santa Clara, were visited once Abrotanella crassipes, and some others; also, lichens by Imshaug, Jackson, and Bahamonde. Both islands and bryophytes are abundant. are uninhabited and without water and trees, al- Collecting on Más Afuera is slow and tedious for though rabbits and sheep occur on Santa Clara even the most physically able because of the gen- itself. Weeds seem to be the commonest plants, al- erally difficult terrain. Climbing often is highly though Dendroseris litoralis, D. pruinata, and a few risky because the volcanic rock is soft and fractures other indigenous species do occur. easily without warning. Nylon rope is useful and December 19—The expedition, with the exception proved particularly helpful in ascending Quebrada of Meyer and Walker, departed Juan Fernández Vacas en route to Cerro Inocentes, the tallest peak aboard Corbeta Casma, a Chilean naval vessel, on Más Afuera (elevation 1,350 meters, as de- arriving at Valparaiso on December 21. Meyer and termined by Solbrig). Even the shore of Mas Afuera Walker continued collecting for another week, de- is difficult on account of boulders and poor trails. parting December 27 aboard Falken and arriving at December 6—The expedition departed Mas Valparaiso on December 30. Afuera for Mas a Tierra aboard the local fishing Collections schooner Falken, arriving at Cumberland Bay the Algae. Totals of 228 collections of freshwater next day about noon. This schooner sails twice algae and 166 collections of marine algae were made, monthly throughout the year from Valparaiso to principally by Jackson. An undetermined number of Cumberland Bay and to Más Afuera during the marine algae were collected independently by Baha- eight-month langouste season. monde. December 7-27—Mas a Tierra. This is the largest Lichens. The 1,624 collections of lichens obtained of the three main islands, with a length of about by Imshaug and Jackson represent the largest 13 miles and a width of about 5 miles. Cumberland sampling of this group ever made on the islands. Bay is the only harbor; otherwise, the island is The lot includes 18 genera previously unreported mostly unprotected along the highly irregular and from this region. These plants are a conspicuous rocky shore. Climatically and floristically, Más a element of the vegetation. Tierra differs from Mas Afuera. The western end of Bryophytes. Eight hundred collections of mosses the island is a dry, treeless grassland, almost and hepatics were made by Hatcher and Engel. desert-like. By contrast, the center of the island They represent the first substantial collection by and the area around Cumberland Bay consists of specialists of Juan Fernandez bryophytes. The leafy lush evergreen rain forest where tree ferns are and thalloid hepatics, in particular, are extremely abundant and most of the rare endemics occur among abundant in the more moist habitats above 250 the flowering plants. Foot travel in the forested area meters, and often cover large areas in woodlands and can be extremely slow and tedious, since few trails sometimes in open places. Mosses, by comparison, exist. The best trail leaves Cumberland Bay for are less conspicuous. Selected living hepatics were Portezuelo de Viflagra, where the Alexander Selkirk brought back for study at the University of Wis- tablet is located, and continues to the sea on the consin (Milwaukee). opposite side of the island. The trail to Camote at Ferns and Allies. About 150 collections of ferns the foot of El Yunque is now little used and may were made by the various members of the expedi- soon disappear. El Yunque, elevation 915 meters, is tion. Ferns are among the most abundant and con- the tallest peak on the island and of particular spicuous plants of the Juan Fernández flora, with interest to botanists because of Yunquea, a flower- about 50 known species. Among the fern allies, ing plant of the composite family which occurs on Lyco podium is represented by two species and the summit. El Yunque was not climbed because the Ophioglossum by one species. Four cyatheoid ferns only known route was destroyed by the hurricane include Th yrsopteris (T. elegans), which is endemic, of 1965. Dr. Foilman, a lichenologist from the Lophosoria quad ripinna ta, and two arborescent

September-October, 1966 241 species of Dicksonia, with trunks 2.5-3 meters tall. in two different sites. Undoubtedly, more plants On Mas Afuera, Lophosoria is one of the dominant could be found with further searching, but Lactoris species on steep, open slopes, in association with is confined to the upper reaches of the forest belt in Dicksonia externa. On Mas a Tierra, the forest area habitats that could only be reached through slow around Cumberland Bay is dominated by ferns, in- and patient effort. cluding tree ferns, climbing, and epiphytic species. According to Skottsberg, the number of indige- Ferns are abundant along the sea front on Mas nous species of flowering plants on Juan Fernández Afuera, where Adiantum chilensis and Asplenium is 146, not a large number in a land area of about obliquum var. chondrophyllum are common. Pel- 80 square miles. More interesting, however, is the laea chilensis is rare in such places. The most fact that 16 out of 87 genera (18.4 percent) are abundant tree fern on Mas a Tierra is Blechnum endemic, as are 101 (70 percent) of the species. Of cycadifolium, which often occurs in almost pure the introduced flora—trees, shrubs, and herbs- stands, making travel very difficult when the plant Skottsberg records 137 adventive species, many is encountered. Nothing less than a machete is nec- now bad weeds, such as Acaena argentea, Rubus essary to get through a forest of these ferns. Two ulmifolius (a bramble), and Aristotelia maqui, a climbing ferns, Blechnum schottii and Arthropteris small evergreen tree introduced from Chile. altescandens are often abundant on Mas a Tierra In some plant groups, the collaboration of special- above 250 meters. Arthropteris is a pronounced ists was arranged for their identification. The marine Polynesian element in the flora. Filmy ferns are algae, consisting largely of crustaceous forms from particularly well represented by 15 species, includ- collections made by Jackson, Imshaug, and Moore, ing Hyrnenophyllum (10 spp.), Trichomanes (3 were sent to Sylvia Earle, Cape Hazen Marine spp.), and Hymenoglossum and Serpyllopsis, each Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida. Sooty molds collected with one species. A set of living ferns was brought by Imshaug will be reported by Stanley J. Hughes, back for follow-up chromosome studies. Plant Research Institute, Central Experimental Farm, Flowering Plants. Separate collections were made Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada. Mar- by the Chilean group under Muñoz Pizarro; by garet Fulford, University of Cincinnati, will col- Solbrig, Moore, and Walker (320 collections); and laborate in the identification of hepatics, while the by Meyer (350 collections). Wood samples were mosses will be determined by Harold Robinson, also prepared by Soibrig, Moore, and Walker (50) Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, and by Meyer (50). A total of 90 living plants Washington, D.C. The palm material requires the (ferns and flowering plants) and 30 seed samples attention of a number of specialists who will were collected by Meyer for the U.S. National examine the anatomy of the plant in some detail Arboretum. Moore, a palm specialist, was partic- under the direction of Moore. Other groups may also ularly keen on collecting Juania australis, an endemic be referred to botanical specialists. A final, collec- palm on Mas a Tierra. Although the palm is becom- tive report of the findings of the expedition will be ing more rare, Moore estimates that perhaps 1,000 published later. specimens of mature Juania may still exist on the Representative sets in all groups will be deposited ridges and in forest areas outside of the dry western in the Museo de Historia Natural, Santiago, Chile, end of the island. This palm has never been and the United States National Museum, Washington, adequately studied nor its affinities fully evaluated; D.C. Duplicates will be distributed to other leading the materials collected should provide the basis for a herbaria. better understanding of its relationships to other palms. Solbrig, a specialist on the composite family Acknowledgements (Compositae), was particularly interested in collect- Grateful acknowledgement is made to the Gov- ing all members of this group, especially the ernment of Chile for permission to land on Juan endemic woody genera, e.g., Dendroseris, Robin- Fernández, for the cooperation of Government sonia, Centaurodendron, Yunquea, and Rhetinoden- officials at Cumberland Bay, and for the transpor- dron. Meyer concentrated on the introduced plants, tation of the expedition to Valparaiso on the naval which in number of species nearly equal the native vessel, Corbeta Casma. Our Chilean colleagues un- plants. der Dr. Carlos Muñoz Pizarro were a very essen- One of the highlights of the trip was the finding tial part of the expedition. The Juan Fernandez of Lactoris fernandeziana by Walker only a few days islanders also were most cooperative and helpful. before departure. This interesting plant, confined to The expedition was sponsored by the National Más a Tierra, belongs to a monotypic family (Lactor- Science Foundation and was logistically supported idaceae) whose taxonomic position requires further by the U.S. Antarctic Research Program. The histori- assessment. The plant is very rare, and only four cal data are cited from a résumé prepared by flowering specimens and a few seedlings were found Henry A. Imshaug.

242 ANTARCTIC JOURNAL PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE