THE PLAN'l' ECOLOGY OJ'' DRAKENSBEliG KANGE. 529 



not developed to any extent in tlie Midlands. The Mountain 

 Bush occurs in isolated patches and ecologically contrasts 

 somewhat sharply with the Midland Bush, though most of the 

 species composing it — at least as far as the trees are con- 

 cerned — are also found in Midland Bush. Mountain Scrub, 

 Rocky Scrub, aud the Fynbosch or Maquis Formation are 

 distinctive, but Vleis do not differ very much at different 

 altitudes. 



The dry valley-types of the Midlands, dominated by thorn- 

 trees (Acacia spp.) and euphorbias, are not represented. On 

 the other hand, nowhere in the Midlands do we find the 

 magnificent cliffs such as those seen in the Drakensberg. The 

 photographs reproduced will give some idea — though, it must 

 be confessed, a very inadequate one — of what they are like. 

 Many of them rise sheer for several thousand feet. True 

 talus-sloi)es, such as those that occur in the Alps, are not 

 common. What looks somewhat like them in the photographs 

 are really buttress-slopes with a shallow layer of soil and 

 covered with tussock- veld. 



The plant formations and associations will be dealt with in 

 the following order : 



1. The Veld Formation. 



(1) The veld grasses. 



(2) Associated plants and transitional types. 



(a) Plants growing intermingled with the 



grasses. 



(b) Plants occupying bare patches and rocky 



ground. 



(c) Plants occupying moist places. 



2. The Protea Veld Formation. 

 8. Rocky Scrub Formation. 



4. Scrub Formation. 



5. Bush Formation. 



6. Stream Bank Vegetation. 



7. Vlei Formation. 



-8. Vegetation op the Mountain Top. 



