492 MISS L. 8. GIBBS ON THE 
were Protea abyssinica, on the “Sand veld” near Fort Usher, 
and a Brachystegia sp. which clothed the slopes, 500 feet deep, 
ofa remote valley. At the time of my visit, the latter was a 
lovely sight, just unfolding the young spring foliage of a tender 
red hue. Old fruit still hung on the trees, which decided the 
genus, but locally, I believe, it is called the ‘Mountain 
Acacia." The trees were very fine, with tall straight trunks, 
averaging about 80 em. in diameter at a height of 1:5 metres. 
Afzelia cuanzensis (Pl. 20) generally occurs in groups, and the 
handsome evergreen Parinarium Mobola is often seen, two or 
three together, also Pterocarpus angolensis and Faurea saligna 
(Pl. 18). The same remarks hold for the veld plants, with the 
exception of Trichodesma physaloides, but with vlei plants and 
those occurring near streams it does not appear to be so marked. 
Secondly, the way each plant seems to respond to its individual 
needs, as dictated by environment, in the throwing-off of the 
old and the growth of new leaves and also the flowering period. 
I saw groups of Afzelia cuanzensis in full leaf and flower, when 
others would be still quite bare. Moschosma riparium flowered 
without or with the young leaves according to situation, also 
Turrea Randii, Tricalysia jasminiflora, Hexalobus senegalensis, 
and Brachylena rhodesiana were similarly influenced, flowering 
with or after throwing off the old leaves. Ficus lutea by a 
stream would be in the full flush of its young red spring foliage, 
whereas up a kopje it would still be covered with last year’s 
leaves, and perhaps in another situation only the bare branches 
would be visible, with all the leaves or the ground below. 
Both these above facts make for a sort of uniformity of effect, 
and though the individual species, if isolated, would be most 
striking in flower or foliage, as it is they are lost in the 
heterogeneous mass. 
From this point of view, it is a matter for regret that local 
effort, instead of constantly striving to introduce foreign and 
often unsuitable species, does not try to give the native plants 
fullseope. The results would be of real botanical interest, and 
perhaps not only lead to less uniformity of surrounding vege- 
tation, but might awaken some interest amongst those who have 
made Rhodesia their home in the many very lovely types with 
which nature has favoured their country. 
Here, again, I should like to repeat that the above remarks are 
made with all reserve, and only refer to the months of August, 
