EFFECTS OF DROUtillTS Oi\ DIS'l KI I'.l'TK )X OF PLANTS. 389 



shrubs showed no effect of the drought, some of them looking 

 as robust in their dark or dull green foliage as at ordinary times ; 



Brunia nodiflora, Asclepias arbor esc ens, Gymnosporia 

 laurina, and U. bu.vifolia, Pufferlickia pyracantha, Campylos- 

 tachxs cernua, Jihus inucronata (with young foliage and fresh 

 fruits), and Fhilippia Chaiuissouis, the largest representative of 

 Ericaceae in our flora. 



4. The foliozidiig plants zcere found in flozver ( March 7th) : 

 Blaeria ericoides, growing socially on some of the slopes ; 

 Cainpylosfachys cernua, Diosma vulgaris. Salvia Africana, 

 Lobelia pinnatiflda. Fagelia bituiuinosa. 



B. The Mount.aix Region 



On previous occasions* I have drawn attention to the great 

 difference which exists between the mountains and their slopes 

 with regard to the supply of moisture to their vegetation during 

 the summer. While the records of rainfall for Cape Town or 

 the Observatory actually indicate the amount of moisture 

 deposited in their immediate neighbourhood, those of the moun- 

 tain stations, say, above 2,500 feet, if we consider Table Moun- 

 tain, give us only a portion of the total moisture deposited there, 

 vis., that fallen actually as rain. 



Another considerable supply is, however, obtained by the 

 plants from the south-east clouds, and this quantity has been 

 shown to be very considerable. A dry and rainless summer 

 like the last provided a remarkable demonstration of the efficiency 

 of this last-mentioned source of supply. On the lower plateau 

 of the mountain, altitude 2,450 feet, where the south-east clouds 

 occur only occasionally, quite a number of dead shrubs and 

 shrublets or other perennials were met with. I saw some dead 

 shrubs of Frotea eyiiaroldes and Lcucadcndron salignuin. some 

 patches of Bercelia hviuginosa, isolated shrubs of Siilbe vcstita, 

 and considerable patches of Centella eriantha, wherever this 

 plant had strayed too far from the banks of a streamlet. A con- 

 spicuous sight was also formed by the patches, or belts, of the 

 dead plants of I'illarsia oz'ata, which, during the period of an 

 ampler summer rainfall, had been able to spread to many spots 

 where it could not j^ersist during this season. 



Quite a dift'erent condition, however, existed on the sum- 

 mit of the mountain and the higher sloj^es. The onlv dead 

 plants which T could detect there occurred on the outer edge of 

 several swamps, which had become considerably smaller this 

 year, as the second half of the summer brought comparativelv 

 little south-east wind. TTcre the dead leaves of Villarsia ovata 

 and the dead culms of Restio dichotomus formed a brown belt 

 aroimd these spots, but in the remainder of this whole area I 



' Marloth, R., " Results of Experiments on Table Mountain for asecrtaining 

 the Amount of Moisture deposited' rom the South East Clouds." Trans 

 S.A. Phil. Soc, (1903) 14 : (1905) 16. 



