C'.vTAr.oouK ov Vascular Plants of Transvaal ani> Swaziland. 235 



portions of Cape Colony and the western portion of the Oi-ange Uiver 

 Colony mingle fi-eely with the grasses of the normal Hora. 



As regards number of species, the genus ErayroHtiK dominates ; 

 but as regards numbers of individuals, the species Themeda Forskalii, 

 Era(iro>tth vhnlcantha, Pduinnn ftcrralum and Eracjrotdis hrizoides 

 dominate miles of the steppe. 



The (question of the absence of trees from the steppe proper is 

 often attributed to grass fires, but in view of the fact that grass fires 

 are, and liave been from time immemorial, as plentiful in the bush 

 veld as on the grass veld, 1 fail to see any connection between them 

 and the lack of trees. That it has more to do with questions of winter 

 temperature, and the moisture, texture or chemical composition of the 

 soil seems to be indicated by the difficulty experienced in inducing trees 

 to thrive, or even to live, when planted in places like Standerton. 



(o) The Tree-steppe or Bush-veld or winter's veld, which ranges 

 from 4000 or 3800 ft. down to oui- lowest levels, approximately 600 ft. 

 abo\"e sea-level. This may be subdivided into two zones, which in 

 previous papers I have called the Middle and the Low Velds. 



A. The Upper Ihish-veM ranges from about 4000 or 3800 ft. 

 down to 1500 ft. above sea-level, and is characterised by Combretums, 

 Acacias, Gymnosporias, Burkea africana, Faurea maligna, Dichapetalum 

 cymos7im, itc. Arachis hyfoyica and Ahimma utilis make useful crops, 

 but cotton and castor-oil do not prove satisfactor}', and pineapples can 

 only be grown in slieltered spots. This is the zone which I have 

 formerly called the "Middle Veld." 



B. The Loirer Bush-veld or the Lcnr-veld I'anges from about 1500 ft. 

 down to 600 ft. above sea-level ; in the eastern Zoutpansberg it ascends 

 in places to 2500 ft. Cotton and castor-oil can be grown as commercial 

 crops where the lainfall proves sufficient, and pineapples do well. It 

 is characterised in places by the dominance and rank-growth (12 to 

 18 ft.) of Tambookie grass {Cymhopoyon Nardus \ar.) ; Diospyroti 

 mespiliformif, Hypluene r-eutricoma, Adansonia diffifafa, Bfmhiuia fas- 

 soylensis, B. reticvlata, B. Galpinii, Fleminyia sp., Fariuarinm Mohola 

 and Bolusant/ms specio^us are characteristic species. 



In communications to the British Association, read at the Johan- 

 nesbursj meeting, two of mv fellow-members of the S.A.A.A.S. assigned 

 to the ^"Middle Veld" an altitude of 4000-5000 ft. The difference 

 between us, I would point out, is one of application of terms rather 

 than of facts. I recognise with Mr. Watermeyer and Mr. Tudor 

 Trevor that there is an area lying between the High Veld proper and 

 the Bush Veld, which in sheltered spots carries some of the typical 

 species of the latter ; this might be called " Middle Veld." Phyto- 

 geographically, howe\er, it is inseparable from the High Veld, and I 

 cannot concur in the views of these gentlemen when they would limit 

 the High Veld to altitudes of 5000 ft. and over. To do so would be 

 to exclude from our definition of " High Veld " the gi-eater part of 

 the Grass-steppe of the Orange River Colony and north-eastern 

 Cape Colonv, which manifestly are parts of the same phytogeographical 

 resjion. 



