THE PLANT ECOLOGY OF THE COAST BELT OF NATAL. 419 



EuPHORBiACE^. — Euphorbia tirucalli, tree (l.d.) ; E. 

 ingens, tree (l.d.) ; E. cooperi, small tree (1.); E. similis, 

 tree (?) ; E. evaiisii, tree (1.); E. triangularis, tree (o.) ; 



E. grandidens, tree (r.) or doubtful for Natal; E. 

 epicyparissias, shrub (f.); E. kraussiana (1.); Drypetes 

 sp. (Cyclostemon argutus, tree (o.)) ; Bridelia ini- 

 crantha, tree (1.); Spirostachys africaua, tree (l.a.) ; 

 Dalechampia capeusis (515), climber (a.). 



Next to the Leguminosfe this is the most important 

 family. The tree-Euphorbias are dominant over hot, dry, 

 rocky or sandy slopes, forming succulent scrub, a very 

 definite climax type. Elsewhere they are subdomiiiant to 

 the Acacias. E. ingens is a very large obconical species 

 often 30 ft. or more in height, the most conspicuous in thorny 

 scrub even when not the most abundant. 



Urticace^]. — Ficus capensis (a.); F. natalensis (a.); 



F. nekbudu (o.) ; F. sycomorus (o.) ; Celtis kraussiana 

 (28), (o.); Trema bracteolata (356), (o.). All trees 

 usually in moist places along streams and belonging rather 

 to the forest sere, but occurring as isolated pioneers some- 

 times. 



SciTAMiNEj;. — Strelitzia augusta (l.d.), very abundant 

 all along the coast behind the dunes as well as in the 

 psammophilons bush. 



Palm.e. — Phcenix reclinata, tree (La.), forming small 

 clumps or growing quite isolated. Hyphasne crinita, 

 small bush or tree (l.d.) — an important pioneer. 



LiLiACE.E. — Asparagus spp. (a.). (See under "Coast 

 Scrub.") ii.loe cooperi (o.), A. kraussii (o.), A. saponaria 

 (f.), A. bainesii (o.), A. boylei (o,), A.parviflora (o.), 

 on dry rocky slopes. 



Cycadace.i-]. — Encephalartos ghellinckii (o.), E. 

 altensteinii (o.), E. villosus (f.), with one or two other 

 species (o.) and St anger ia paradox a (o.). 



A careful comparison of the above list with that given 

 later for coast scrub will show that while the majority of 

 the species are common to both yet the dominant species 



