806 J. W. BEWS. 



I have noted a few out of the many plants found in the 

 marginal belt of these bushes and forests. Some are shrubs 

 and small trees, and belong-to the woodland proper, preferring 

 the edge of it, where they get more light. Mixed with them 

 is a great variety of herbaceous plants and ferns. A great 

 number of the associated veld plants, particularly the taller 

 and later flowering species, take refuge from the ever-recurring 

 grass fires, and floarish in the moister surrounding belt of the 

 bush. Species of Senecio, Helichrysum and Berkheya-, 

 Polygala virgata, Artemisia af ra, Leonotis leonurus, 

 N id or ell a spjD., Plectranthus spp. are very common. 

 The bracken fern is often the dominant plant of the zone. 

 The taller grasses are also characteristic of it, e.g. Andro- 

 pogon nardus var. marginatus, Andropogon filipen- 

 dulus, Arundinella ecklonii, Erianthus cap en sis. 

 Growing among the taller herbs there is an endless variety 

 of smaller forms, which during the summer enjoy plenty of 

 deposition of moisture, and are shaded fully by the other plauts 

 among which they grow. 



During some years the burning of the outside veld grasses 

 may be accomplished witliout interfering with the moist 

 marginal belt. But if it should happen that a strong wind 

 is blowing at the time, the fire will sweep through and scorch 

 the trees gi-owing on the outside of the bush. Next year the 

 trees are dry ;i,nd semi-withered, and the branches are carried 

 off by the natives for firewood. Thus, slowly the veld gains 

 on the bush. When timber is cut out of the bush, open gaps 

 are left in which grass grows tall, and when this also catches 

 fire the destruction is still greater. There can be no doubt 

 that the bush areas were at one time wider and more extensive 

 than they are now. At the present time greater care is being 

 taken, and as far as possible destruction of the bush is being 

 prevented, but it is well to recognise how important this factor 

 has been in the past. 



In places where the bush has been destroyed it will grow 

 again if protected from the grass fires. The study of such 

 bush clearings throws much light on the question of how the 



