Tm: Plant Koumations of iiik Caim; I'hovinci:. 249 



llif t'oiniation shows many different facies, for Zauferfe.'ffhia eutars 

 into various plant associations. Sometimes its groups alternate with or 

 almost disappear among patches of Cijperus textUis or (J ypfirun faatAyia- 

 tns ; while on other occasions a specially i emarkahle plant keeps it 

 <."ompiny, viz., (rimwra ijerppu^d, our ojily repi'es(ijitati\e of a genus, 

 whicli is largely developefl in Soutli America. 



111. Thk Sandy Plains. 



As soon as one leaves the zone of \.\w dunes one meets an entirely 

 different vegetation, different not oidy in its ecological features, but 

 also in its systematic affinities. AVhile the sln'ubs of the dunes belong 

 to manv widely spread orders, ejj. Celastracese, Anacai'diacea", Ebe- 

 nactiv, ttc, we find the plains covered with typical Cape \egetation : 

 Restionace;e and heaths or iieath-like shrublets, mostly intermingled 

 with narrow-leaved Proteacese. The largest representative of the 

 latter ordei* is here Frnfea mdliferd : smallei-, but more frequent, 

 niembeis of this order are Leucadeuclroit virf/atum, L. idujinosnm 

 and L. Le/cisaimm, Leuco-spennxm hypupliyJlum^ Mimetes purpurea 

 and Serruria Bnrmauni. Of Bruniaceie abound Berzelia abrotaui folia > 

 and Staavia radiata ; of Thymela'aceie Gtudia pinifolia, Cryptadetna 

 wiijiora, Passerina Jiliformis, Lachwt-a capitata and others ; of 

 Rutacese Diosma vidgaris and Ayathosma villosa ; of V^erbenacete 

 species of Selayo, StUbe aricoides, itc. Of heaths there are many, but 

 a few only can be mentioned, viz.. Erica maryaritifera, pidckeJla, 

 inibricata, coriljhlia, rixcaria and Scyphonyiie inconspiciia. The 

 tallest of the Restionaceie is ThanDiochorfiiK !^piciyerus, which occa- 

 sionally reaches a height of 9 ft. ; while one of the most common 

 kinds, which grows socially, is Dovea tectoram, the thatching reed of 

 the western farmer. There are many smaller kinds quite common, 

 e.g. Restid quiiiynefarius and furcatns, Dovna llookeriana, Thamiw- 

 chortuii dichotonins^ E/ei/ia JistMlosn. Bulbous and tuberous plants 

 are plentiful, in particular Iridacete and orchids. Among the former 

 abound species of Watsouia, Gladiolnfi, Babiaua, iVrc, among the latter 

 some of the most conspicuous flowers of tlie Cape, e.g. Diso barbaUt 

 (white), Satyrium coriifoHnm (bright orange) and Safyrinm carwum, 

 with a spike of flowers not rarely 2 ft. long. 



An important feature of this formation are the sand-loving succu- 

 lents, in particular species of Mesembrianthenium, e.y. the common 

 Hottentot fig, .1/. edn/f and J/, fichtiici/onne. 



B. THE HILLS. 

 I. Thk Rhencstervkld. 



Extensive tracts of the south-western districts are covered with 

 the rhenoster bush {Elytropappv.^ rhhwc^rods). From Nama<}ualand 



