20 president's address. 



(3) The northern portion of the Zoutpansberg phiteau, which 

 is composed of parallel ranges of sandstone, lies at a lower altitude 

 than the Water berg and Pietensburg plateaux. The vegetation is 

 similar to that of the Low Veld, and from a ph^^togeographical 

 point of view may be included in the Jatter region. 



0. — The Griqualaxd West Thoux Veld (Plate XI). 



In the centre of the inland plateau and bounded on the south 

 by the Orange Eiver, on the west by the Kalahari, and on the 

 east by the High Veld, is a somewhat triangular block of country 

 which is usually included under the term " The Kaap Plateau." 

 Botanically this region is perhaps less known than any other part 

 of tlie inland plateau, but from what little information is available, 

 its affinities undoubtedly lie with the western portion of the 

 plateau rather than with the eastern. 



The whole area falls naturally into three distinct types of 

 veld. The eastern portion consists of long, open river valleys (the 

 valleys of the Dry Harts, Harts and Vaal Piivers), with deep 

 alluvial soils and gravels, which are covered with a park-like 

 growth of thorn trees and tufted grasses. This I shall describe as 

 the Griqualand West Thorn Veld. 



The central portion, the Kaap Plateau proper, consists of an 

 extensive dolomite and limestone plateau of shallow soils which 

 are covered with bush, xerophytic shrubs and shrublets. This I 

 shall refer to as the Kaap Plateau Bush Veld. 



Between the Kaap Plateau Bush Veld and the Kalahari is a 

 tract of undulating veld composed of stony and rocky hills, sandy 

 plains and dry river valleys. The hills are covered with bush and 

 scrub, the sandy plains with grass and the Vaal Kameel Thorn, 

 ^hile the low-lying valleys contain many brak and xerophytic 

 shrublets. This tract of country I have included under the title 

 " The Vaal Kameel Veld of the Asbestos Mountains." 



The Griqualand West Thorn Veld includes the valleys of the 

 Orange, Vaal, Harts and Dry Harts Pvivers lying in the districts 

 of Herbert, Kimberley, Barkly West, Bloemhof, Taungs, and 

 Vryburg. 



The veld isi park-like throughout. This type of scenery is 

 produced by various thorn trees growing amongst Karroo bush and 

 grass in the south, but chiefly amongst grass only in the north. 



The common thorn trees are the Haak-en-steek {Acacia: 

 spirocarpoides), the Kameeldoorn (Acacia Girafjae), the Doorn- 

 boom (Acacia Karroo), the Haakdoorn (Acacia dcfincns) and the 

 TerassibO'S (Acacia stohnifcra). 



Other typical trees, bushes, and shrublets found in this veld 

 are the Witgats (Boscia albitrunca and Boscia transvaalenfiis), 

 the Vaal Bos (Tarchonanthus camphoratus), the Blauwbosch 

 (Roycna pallens), the Driedoorn (Rhigozum triciiotoynum), the 

 Zuur-karree (Rlivs ciliata), the Eozijntjebosch (Greicia cana), the 

 Bitterbossie (CJirysocoma teniafolia), the Schaap Bos (Penfzia 

 incana), and the Harpuis-bos (Euryops multifidvs). 



Typical and dominant grasses are Sclnnidtia hidbosa, Cldoris 

 virgata, Eragrostis Iclimanniana, Aristida adsccnsionis, Eragrostis 



