440 J. W. BEWS. 



ing the number of underslirubs and herbs and ousting all the 

 light-demanders. Only the seedlings of such species as can 

 withstand dense shade can grow underneath. There are over 

 160 climbing or rambling species altogether. See particularly 

 the families Ranunculace^, Anonacete, Menisper- 

 maceas, Capparide^, Malpighiace^, Ampelidefe^ 

 Oonnaracea3^ Leguminosfe, RosacoEe, Passif loracese, 

 Cucurbitacete, Compositas, Plumbagine^, Oleaceae, 

 Apocynacete, Asclepiadacete, Convolvulacea3, Solan- 

 acea?, Bignoniaceas, Acanthaceae, Phytolaccacese^ 

 Euphorbiacefe, Liliaceie, Fl age llariacefe, Gram inefe, 

 in the above list. 



The trees in the scrub, though species which grow much 

 taller iti true forest are included, rarely exceed 30 ft. in 

 height. The extremely mixed character of the coast scrub 

 has already been emphasised. None of the tree species can 

 be described as more than locally dominant — in fact pure 

 dominance, except over very small patches, hardly occurs. 

 This is partly due to the unstable transitional nature of the 

 scrub, but it appears to be a feature of tropical vegetation 

 everywhere. Thus Wallace,^ in describing the forests of the 

 tropics, remarks : " Among their best distinguishing features 

 are the variety of forms and species which evei"ywhere meet 

 and grow side by side, and the extent to which parasites, 

 epiphytes and creepers fill up every available station with 

 peculiar modes of life. If the traveller notices a particular 

 species and wishes to find more like it, he may often turn his 

 eyes in vain in every direction. Trees of varied forms, 

 dimensions and colours are around him, but he rarely sees one 

 of them repeated. Time after time he goes towards a tree, 

 which looks like the one he seeks, but a closer examination 

 proves it to be distinct. He may, at length, perhaps, meet 

 with a second specimen half a mile off, or may fail altogether, 

 till on another occasion he stumbles on one by accident." 

 These remarks, only to a less degree, apply also to the Natal 

 coast belt scrub. In its general ecological characters, 



^ Wallace, A. R.. ' Tropical Nature and other Essays,' London, 1878. 



