398 .T. W. BKWS. 



Drosera biirkeana, Ranunculus pinnatus and occa- 

 sionally several oilier of the species mentioned later as 

 characteristic i-ather of the zone of vlei grasses. Many of 

 the smaller Cyperaceaa are common near the water edge, 

 e.g. Kyllinga alba, K. erecta, K. elatior, K. melano- 

 sperma, K. lehmanni, Pycreus mundii, P. poly- 

 stachyus, P. oakf ortensis, P.umbrosus, P.elegantulus, 

 P. ferrugineus, Juncellus lasvigatus, a few species of 

 C y p e r u s and M a r i s c u s , E 1 e o c h ar is 1 i m o s a, F i mb ri s t}^ 1 is 

 complanata, F. f err agin ea, F. ex i lis, Bulbostylis 

 cinnamomea, B. striatella, B. zey heri, Scirpus macer, 

 8. prolifer, S. rivularis, Ficinea laciniata, Fuirena 

 ecklonii, F. microlepis, Lipocarpha argentea, Scleria 

 catopliylla, S. hirtella, S. holcoides, S. niela- 

 nomphala, S. natalensis, though they are not all 

 confined to this particular habitat or stage in the succession. 

 I have not collected any species of Car ex on the coast belt. 



Some of the semi-aquutic vlei grasses occasionally find 

 a place in this zone, but they rarely dominate at so early a 

 stage of the succession. 



(f) Cyperus-Mariscus Associes. — A very clearly- 

 marked zone is dominated by tall growing species of 

 Cyperus or Mariscus. The smaller semi-aquatics are to 

 a large extent crowded out, and there are often fairly large 

 pure consocies of such species as C. fastigiatus, C lati- 

 foliusorC. distans. In Zululand the Papyrus (Cyperus 

 papyrus) is of extreme ecological importance, covering great 

 tracts of swampy ground. It does not occur in Natal, but a 

 smaller papyrus (C. madagascarensis) is fairly common 

 as far as Port Shepstone and beyond. The other species of 

 the Cyperus-Mariscus zone are: Cyperus sphasro- 

 spermus, C. denudatus, C. isocladus, C. latifolius, 

 C. distans, C. corymbosus, C. natalensis, C. 

 fastigiatus, C. immensus, Mariscus elatior, M. 

 owani, M. gueinzii, M. elephan tinus, M. cooperi, 

 M. riparius, ^f. umbilensis, Rynchospora aurea, 

 R. cyperoides, Cladium mariscus. 



