FLORA OF THE :^IALVERN DISTRICT 195 



An Account of the Flora of the Malvern District. 



By Helena Forbes. 



^lalverii, a suburi) of Durban, is situated about 10 

 miles inland on the Main Line. It is practically bounded 

 on either side by the T^mbilo and T^inhlatuzana Rivers and 

 beyond these rivers rise hill upon hill. The country in 

 between these rivers is also hilly. On the whole the soil 

 is not good, for the slopes are stony, most of the soil hav- 

 ing been washed away by the rains, and in the valleys 

 and lower parts it is very sandy. Some parts are ahnost 

 entirely composed of clay with a slight top soil of sand 

 and gravel. Most of the hill sides, although but sparsely 

 covered with soil, are utilised by the Indians in the 

 cultivation of bananas and pine-apples, while here and 

 there the quaint, but nevertheless picturesque pawpaw 

 trees are seen. 



As this district consists chiefly of grassland and as 

 grasses compose a very large and necessary portion of 

 the flora, it will be as well to deal with them first. 

 Apart from the fact that grasses are the essential food 

 for all graminivorus animals, they are useful agents in 

 kee]>ing soil together. Their roots are mainly surface 

 roots, and they help to keep even sandy soil from being 

 washed away. Andropof/on nardus (Tambuti) is the 

 commonest grass and grows in great tufts over hill-sides, 

 plains, and along roadsides. Other species of Andropogon 

 found are: — A. hirtiis, A. lialepensis, A. ci/mharius, A. 

 eufoinis, A. plekirthron, A. auctiis, A. cereslaeformis, A. 

 manjimitus, A. ^choenantlnis. Imperata arundinacea 

 is seen everywhere, the silvery blooms being very pretty 

 when young and fresh. Tricholoena set! folia and T. 



