318 J. AV. BEWS. 



years — farmers put it at about fifteen — -the ground reverts to 

 the condition of the original veld. 



(12) ASSOCIATED PLANTS OF LOW AND HIGH LEVEL 



VELD. 



Scattered through the veld grasses there is a great variety 

 of flowers, the species varying very much in different locali- 

 ties. CEcologically these plants may be divided into the 

 following classes : 



1. Plants that flower innnediately after the burning of the 

 grass. The fire seems to act as a sort of stimulus to them, 

 and it does not signify whether the burning is late or early 

 they flower immediately afterwards. Even in the middle of 

 the dry season they are fouud scattered over the blackened 

 surface of the ground. The following are most typical : 



Clazanea longiscapa, Grerbera spp., Moreea spath- 

 acea, Scilla spp., Cyrtanthus angustif olius, Senecio 

 pterophorus var. apteris, Senecio spp., Anoigan- 

 thusbrevifolius, Apodolirion buchanani, Hydroco- 

 tyle cent ell a. 



2, The second class includes a much greater number — the 

 plants that flower early in the season, shortly after the first 

 rains, and before the grass has grown tall enough to shade 

 them. They are similar in many respects to the floor vegeta- 

 tion of deciduous woods, but are more xerophytic. A great 

 number of bulbous monocotyledons occur. The general 

 aspect of the grass veld at the time of flowering of these 

 plants is shown in PI. XXI, fig. 2. The grass is growing 

 quickly, but it is more or less tufted and the full amount of 

 sunlight reaches these associated plants. 



The following list, though not so long as it might be made, 

 will give a general idea of the variety of plants found 

 flowering in the veld at this season : 



Monocotyledons. — Moraja tenuis, Mora3a spp., Aristea 

 spp., Dieramn. pendula, Gladiolus pubescens, Hy- 

 poxis spp., Hypoxis baurii, Crinuni longifolium, 

 Bupha3ne disticha, Cyrtanthus lutescens. Hitman- 



