AN (ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE MIDLANDS OF NATAL. 503 



(b) Anthistiria imberbis dominant and Andropogon 

 ceresiasformis subdominant occur frequently over fairly- 

 large areas. In such cases the soil is not so deep, and the 

 Andropogon ceresiasf orniis grows on the poorer patches. 

 Its reddish spathes are even more conspicuous than those of 

 the Anthistiria. Sometimes there is a complete inter- 

 mingling of the two species. 



As the ground becomes more uneven, and consequently the 

 soil conditions less uniform, the other grasses, which occur 

 sparsely scattered through these two associations, become 

 more abundant, and the stable types pass into the Andro- 

 pogon associations which occur on the slopes. Early in 

 spring, when the grass of the previous year has been burned 

 off, the following grasses appear : 



Tristachya leucothrix, Axon opus semialatus, Era- 

 grostis brizoides, Koeleria cristata, Panicum eck- 

 lonii, P. serratum. 



Later on^ growing and flowering with the dominant species, 

 we get the following : 



Numerous species of Andropogon (to be described later), 

 Aristida junciformis, Eragrostis curvula, E. chal- 

 cantha, Harpechloa capensis, Digitaria eriantha, 

 D. diagonalis, D. ternata, Setaria nigrirostis, 

 Setaria imberbis, Microchloa caffra, Panicum 

 leevifolium, Pollinia villosa, Paspalum distichum, 

 Eleusine indica, Elionurus argenteus, Tricholtena 

 rosea, T. setifolia, Chloris pycnothrix. 



All the above are fairly common. 



The following are rather rare : 



Rottbcellia com press a, Sporobolus centrifugus, 

 Festuca scabra, Panicum natalense, Eragrostis 

 c h 1 o r o m e 1 a s. 



The Cyperaceas as a whole are found mostly in the vleis, 

 but the following are veld species : 



Ascolepis capensis, Mariscus capensis, Bulbo- 

 stylis cinnamome, Cyperus compactus, Carex 

 dregeana. 



