288 VELD-BURNING EXPERIMENTS AT GROENKLOOF, PRETORIA. 



which is frequent on Eo, was not observed on the adjoining plot 

 Ej. Felicia muricata, mentioned above as one of the common 

 species, was fruiting in a great many cases, and all the plants 

 of Morcea sp. had finished flowering. Bulbostylis trichobasis 

 had also finished flowering; the dry empty anthers still remained 

 attached to the inflorescence. Although Eragrostis chalcantha 

 was so common, and had begun to produce inflorescences some 

 time back, none of the flowers had matured yet. It is the first 

 grass to flower., but a long interval elapses between the first 

 appearance of the inflorescence and the opening of the florets. 



As the vernal aspect of Vcrnonia lasioclada was the con- 

 spicuous feature on the plot E^ the previous week, I 

 found on September 29th that the vernal aspect of 

 plot E2 was due to Hypoxis rigidiila. The first flower- 

 ing species, viz., Gazania krehsiana, was rapidly disappear- 

 ing, but Gerhera piloselloides was still frequently in flower, 

 though not so common as it was a little while pre- 

 viously. Scilla (lanccrfplia) and Becium obovatum were both 

 still very frequent in flower, while Indigofera hilaris and Anthis- 

 tiria imberbis were coming into flower rapidly. The latter is the 

 dominant grass on the plot. Elephant crhiza BurchelUi was 

 growing very rapidly, and was exceeding common, while Aster 

 (Diplopappiis scrrulatus) was flowering more freely, but was by 

 no mean? common. Several specimens of Dimorphothecn spec- 

 tabilis were in flower, and occasionally plants of Bopusia siibin- 

 tegra were observed in flower. Among the rarer species was 

 Euhphia in-ccquali^, of which only two specimens were seen. 

 While Vcrnonia lasioclada was so very common, being the only 

 plant seen from a distance, it is late in flowering, as only 

 one mature inflorescence was found. On October 13th I found 

 that Pcntaiiisia 7'ariabilis, Indigofera hilaris, Hypoxis rigidula. 

 and Lasiosiphon linifolius were the most ccmmon plants in flower. 

 Gasiana krebsiana and Vernonia monocephala, formerlv two of 

 the most common species, were now almost over. The other 

 common species, besides those mentioned above, were Helichry- 

 sum coriaceiim and Solanuni pandur(rformc, hoth of which were 

 coming into flower rapidly. The red soil at the lower -end of the 

 plot bears a more luxuriant vegetation, and on this portion Ele- 

 phantorhisa Bitrchellii and Indigofera hilaris were the two domi- 

 nant species. 



I was unable to visit the plots for about six weeks, and 

 during this interval the whole aspect had changed. On December 

 Tst I found that almost all the smaller shrubs and herbaceous 

 plants had disappeared, and their place was taken by Anthistiria 

 imberbis and Scabiosa columbaria. The former was now the 

 dominant species and the latter very common, its flowers show- 

 ing conspicuously above the grass. Among the grass, plants of 

 Elephant orhiza Burchellii, and Vigna angustifolia were very com- 

 mon. Vernonia lasioclada, Eragrostis chalcantha, Hypoxis nadfi- 



