208 HELENA FORBES 



and stems and the leaves are inclined to be succulent. 

 This plant often grows in very dry places and unless it 

 were xerophytic it could not withstand the long drought. 

 The "Prickly Pear'' (Opuntia decumana var. spbiosuni) 

 is also a xerophyte, the whole plant being extremely suc- 

 culent. Many of the Liliaceae are xerophytes. Haenian- 

 thiis natalensis, li. alhomaculutus^ Alhuca crinifolia, Aloe 

 saponarki and A. Cooperl may all be classed as xero- 

 phytes, as they have decided xerophytic adaptations. 



There are really very few Euphorbiaceae which are 

 common. The only species of this order that I have 

 found are Euphorhia natalensls, E. liirta, E. inaequila- 

 tera, Cluytia pulchella, C. cordata, Phyllanthus Meyer- 

 iamis and the tree Dry petes argiiio. 



During the spring and early summer months hillsides, 

 valleys and roadsides are ablaze with flowei*s of many 

 different hues. In the early morning the flowers of 

 Ipomoea spp. all open and the shrubs and trees 

 festooned with their long twining branches are a mass 

 of colour. In the winter there are the Aloes with their 

 gorgeous heads of Orange, Ked and Yellow, Erythrina 

 caffra (the Kaffir boom) with its bright crimson sprays 

 and Leonotis Leonunis with its gay whorls of orange 

 flowers, so that at no season can one say that there are 

 no wild flowers blooming. 



This is merely a short comprehensive list of the Flora 

 of Malvern, as no percentages, etc., have been taken, or 

 gone into. Many of the plants mentioned are of medicinal 

 value and are used by the Natives. Helinus ovata^ for 

 instance, a very common creeper, is a cure for sandworm. 

 The leaves contain a substance, which, when rubbed in 

 water produce a soapy liquid. If the affected part is 

 bathed with this mixture the sandworm soon dies. Aloe 

 saponarki, Solanuni dnplo-sinuatum, Leonotis Leonurus, 

 Fac/ara caj^ensis, Pentanisia variahilis and Datum stra- 

 monium are a fcAv wliicli are also used medicinallv. 



