A NOTE ON THE FLORA OF WINTERHOEK RANGE. 22/ 



inclined to believe that it is the " exposure " which determines 

 the altitude at which the mountain flora begins, and this may be as 

 low as 3,000 feet or as high as 5,000 to 6,000 feet. On the French 

 Hoek Mountains, for instance, the mountain type of vegetation 

 may be found at 3,000 feet, while at Seven Weeks Poort, in the 

 Zwartbergen, it does not appear until peaks over 5,000 feet are 

 reached. 



To give any detailed account of the flowering period of the 

 of the various species, continuous visits during the year must be 

 made to the locality under observation ; this, unfortunately, I have 

 not been able to do. One point, however, was noticed very 

 markedly, vis., that at the higher altitudes the flowering period is 

 much later — e.g., Microdon lucidus was freely flowering in 

 November between 3,000 to 3,500 feet, but was still in bud at all 

 altitudes above 4,000 feet, and finishes flowering at the higher 

 altitudes in April. Ccelidium roscnm was collected at the base of 

 the Great Winterhoek (4,300 feet) in fruit only, while on the 

 Peak itself (6,000 feet) it was in full flower, and showed no signs 

 of fruiting. The flowering period of most of the species at the 

 same altitude is very short — e.g., Cyclopia bonneana was in full 

 flower on November i/th, and a week later not a flower was to 

 be found on any of the bushes. Aspalathiis triqitetra showed 

 extremely young buds on November 17th, and was beginning to 

 flower freely by November 28th ; how long the flowering period 

 lasts I cannot say, but it is certainly over by April. Gladiolus' 

 involntns in flower was very common on November 17th, but 

 a few days later all the flowers had disappeared. Other examples 

 could be cited, but the above will suffice to show the extraordi- 

 narily short space of time in vvhich the species flower and fruit. 



The character of the vegetation covering the Sneeuwgat 

 Valley, the mountains, and slopes is not homogeneous, and it 

 can best be described by detailing the types which occur in the 

 various localities. The upper reaches of the Sneeuwgat Valley, 

 running south-east and north-west, have gentle J^opes with 

 kopjes on the eastern side rising to 500 to 600 feet above the 

 valley. In the valley itself are found chiefly grasses and .sedges, 

 together with prostrate plants, such as Borbonia villusa. Argyro- 

 lobimn lanceolatum, Indigofera fiilcrata, etc. Near the nek 

 overlookingTulbagh Valley were numerous plants of Euryops 

 abrotanifoliiis. The steeper slopes of the kopjes have a shrubby 

 aspect, due to the numerous bushes of A.<cpalathus triquetra, 

 while the lowermost portion was densely clothed with masses of 

 Stoebe cinerca growing socially. At the low^er end of the valley 

 is a wide stream, almost stagnant, and covered with dense masses 

 of Scirpus costatus, the dominant species. Fringing the wet sides 

 of the stream, the common species are Zantedcschia a^thiopica. 

 JuncHS lomatophylhis, FJegia verticillaris, RanmicHlHs' piu- 

 imfus, Bulbinc sp., while the damp ground further oft' contained 

 many plants of Aspalathiis sp., a prostrate creeper forming- 

 cushions. 



