206 HELENA FORBES 



Tithonia has large bright vellow flowers about the size 

 of a mediiim sunflower. These plants are quite natural- 

 ised now and are often included among the indigenous 

 plants. 



During the long summer evenings of January and 

 February the air is laden with the perfume of an intro- 

 duced species of Oenothera or "Evening Primrose/' as 

 it is commonly called. They are large shruby plants with 

 fairly large yellow flowers, and grow along roadsides 

 and waste gTound. There are one or two species of 

 Lord n thus about this district. Melia Azedarach is the 

 favoured host for Lomnthus Dregei, and it is not at all 

 uncommon to see large bunches of L. Dregei hanging 

 from the branches. L. Dregei also grows on Eriohotrya 

 japoniea (Loquati and I have also noticed L. natal itius 

 var. minor on this same host. L. natal itius grows chiefly 

 on Acacia caffra although the first specimen that I found 

 was growing on Acacia moUissima : L. Kraussiana grows 

 well on Citrus Aurantiuui (the Orange) as also does L. 

 natal itius var. minor. ]j. Dregei also grows on Aleurites 

 triloba and Baphia racemosa. Only once have I seen L. 

 Kraussiana or any other Loranthus on a Ficus — F. natal- 

 ensis. One frequently sees Ficus Xatalensis beginning its 

 life as an epiphyte on Enjthrina caffra or some other tree. 

 When it has once managed to establish its roots in the 

 soil it grows so vigorously that it is frequently the cause 

 of the death of its host, either by overwhelming it with 

 its weight or else by deju'iving it of necessary light. 



There are several orchids in this district. Hahenaria 

 clavata prefers a dry sandy soil and is almost unnotice 

 able amongst tlie grass. Eulophia harhata, a pretty 

 pur]>le orchid, grows on the dry roadside or among the 

 grass, and is (piite common round about Malvern. 

 Eulophia speciosa, yellow and purple, grows better in 

 moist ])laces and is not nearly so common as E. harhata. 

 Tlie yellow heads of Disa chrgsostaclnjs show up among 

 the grass. A very })ietty epiphytic orchid is Listrostachys 



