ECOLOGICAL NOTES 221 



Leucosidea sericea, in the kloofs and other suitable 

 places. (2) The luesophytic AruncUnaria tesselata for- 

 mation. (3) The less mesophytie tussock grass forma- 

 tion, (tt) The xerophytic ericoid shrub formation. This 

 last formation often occurs on the lower slopes of the 

 mountains in the Cave Sandstone Area. 



Among the tussocks of Festuca scahra the following 

 occur: — Elionurus argenteus, Anthistiria imher'bis, Orni- 

 thogalum sp., Alhtica sp.. Erica frigida. Helichrijsiim ele- 

 gcuitissUniim, Helichrysum trilbieatum^ Helichrysum 

 capillaceum and numerous other helichrysums. Xysmalo- 

 Mum tuidulatum, Myosofis graminifolia, Cenia sp., etc. 

 At a somewhat lower altitude Helichrysum anomalum 

 becomes sub-dominant and occasionally MacOwania pul- 

 vinaris occurs. Other mountain grasses are Pentaschis- 

 tis hasutorum^ Danthonia MacOwanii, Fingerhuthia 

 sesleriaeformis, Bromus sp., Harpechloa capensis, Melica 

 racemosa, Setaria perennis, Eragrostis curvula, etc. 

 Among the alpine Cyperaceae are Ficinia gracilis, Garex 

 clavata, Carex vulpina, Scirpiis setaceus^ Cyperus rttpe- 

 stris, Tetraria sp. 



Mountain vlei plants (altitude about 9,000 feet) : — On 

 shallow wel soil on mountain tops Crassiila Galpinii 

 occurs. Sehaea (either Marlothii or a closely allied 

 species) occurs on the edge of the streams. In the moun- 

 tain springs and vleis the following occur: — Venidium 

 sp. (145), Geum capense, Athrixia fontana, Kniphofia 

 sp., etc. Moraea sp. (near M. spatJiacea Xo. 289) occurs 

 on damp slopes and depressions. Juncus Dregeanus and 

 J uncus rostratuSy also EuphorMa sp. (No. 104) and Cyr- 

 tanthiis sp. occur along mountain streams. 



Where the shrubs of ericoid habit occur Ghrysocoma 

 tenuifolia is usually dominant on mountain sides. It often 

 spreads down to the veld at the foot of the mountains, 

 where it is associated with Aster filifolius^ which some- 

 times is dominant on very stony soil. Associated with 

 Ghrysocoma tenuifolia one often finds Selago Galpinii 

 (at lower altitudes), Passerina sp. (f ericoides), ReU 



