AN (ECOLOGICAL 8URVLY OF THP] l\rir)LANI)S OF NATAL. -jO? 



Dipcadi viride (10-1), Galtonia candicans (11), Tul- 

 bagia natalensis (1), T. violacea (10), T. alliacea (8), 

 Albuca pachychlamys^, Eucomus undulata^ (1), E. 

 punctata^ (1), Scilla lance^f olia"^ (8-10) and several 

 other species (early flowering)"^, Ornithogalliim spp. (early 

 flowering)*, Androcymbium natalense* (9), Sander- 

 sonia aurantiaca (11-2), Commelina sp .*, Richardia 

 albomaculata (8). 



All these numerous associated plants (including the 

 associated grasses) are not at all abundant when A n t h i s t i r i a 

 inxberbis is the dominant gi-ass. On the more level ground 

 a pui*e Anthistiria association occurs, but as the topography 

 becomes more and more unstable the associated plants grow 

 more abundantly, till at length on the steeper slopes, where 

 the ground is uneven, but not bare and rocky except in 

 places, the various Andropogon species become dominant. 



(d) Andropogon Associations. — A tambootie associa- 

 tion with Andropogon nardus var. marginatus domi- 

 nant occurs in the moister spots. Such places are naturally 

 more characteristic of uneven ground. As these patches of 

 tambootie grass become larger the veld passes into vlei. 



Other species of Andropogon found on the slopes are the 

 following : 



Andropogon dregeanus, A. f ilipenduliis, A. 

 auctus, A. cymbarius, A. schoenanthus var. versi- 

 color, A. appendiculatus, A. hirtus, A. schirensis, 

 A. amplectens, A. filifolius, A. nardus var. validus, 

 A. plurinodis, A. dichroos, A. pert us us. 



Pure associations of these rarely occur, and when they do 

 the clumps and patches are never very large. Usually three 

 or four of the species are found mixed together. They are 

 all more or less similar in habit — coarse grasses, which vary 

 greatly in form according to soil conditions, and grow from 

 one foot up to seven or eight in height. They seem able 

 to adapt themselves to widely varying conditions as regards 

 soil. 



The other associated veld grasses very seldom become 



