VELD-BURNING EXPERIMENTS AT GROENKLOOF, PRETORIA. 289 



ccps and Indiyofcra Jiilaris hatl jjll* tinished tiowering, and were 

 not nearly so common as they were before Anthistiria imberbis 

 took possession. Scabiosa colunibaria was among the first 

 species to appear after the burning, but was the last to flower. 



Anthistiria imberbis does not remain in possession long, as 

 on February 8th ( 1919) it had finished flowering, and its place was 

 taken by other grasses. Scabiosa columbaria disappears with 

 Anthistiria imberbis, as not a single specimen was to be seen on 

 the above date. The only plant in flower which was conspicuous 

 above the grasses was Senecio latifolitis, and occasionally a few 

 specimens of OxaJis sp. were observed. The dominant grasses 

 now were Andropogon amplectens, A. schirensis, var. angiM- 

 folius, and Trachypogon polymorphus. Among the dominant 

 grasses Digitaria diagonalis, Panicum natalense, Diplachne biflora 

 and Anthistiria imberbis (finished flowering) were common. 

 Occasionally were observed specimens of Urelytrnm squarrosum, 

 Andropogon hirtiflorns, and Setaria perennis, while Tricholcvna 

 setifera was rare. 



This stage, I think, represents the highest development on 

 the plots El and Eo. 



Summary of the Life History of Plots E^ and E.. 



The life history of the vegetation existing on the plots E^ 

 and Eo is very similar, with the exception that the more recently 

 burnt plot, namely, Ej, was slightly behind in the time at which 

 the dominant species appeared in flower, but they can be treated 

 as a whole quite conveniently. Gaziana krebsiana and Lasiosi- 

 phon linifolius are the first dominant species with Gerbera pilo- 

 sclloides and Morcra sp. as sub-dominants. Two weeks later 

 many other species made their appearance, but were not flowering. 

 At the beginning of September Gerbera piloselloides was flower- 

 ing freely, and usurped the place of Gaziana krebsiana and 

 Lasiosiphon linifolius as the dominant plant in flower. From now 

 until the middle of September the common species grow rapidly, 

 but this is most noticeable in Hypoxis rigidiila and Vernonia 

 lasiocl-ada, and the latter species now becomes dominant, so much 

 so as to form a vernal aspect society, and by this time Gerbera 

 piloselloides has almost disappeared. Towards the end of Sep- 

 tember Hypoxis rigidiila comes into flower very rapidly, and forms 

 a vernal aspect society in place of Vernonia lasioclada. While 

 these changes are taking place the sub-dominant species, such as 

 Indigofera hilaris, Becium obovatum, Vernonia monocephala, 

 Elephantorhiza Burchellii, and Helichrysum c^rvaceum are much 

 in evidence. During October and November the flowering shrubs, 

 etc.. have set fruit and died down, and Anthistiria imberbis with 

 Scabiosa columbaria take possession. This does not last much 

 longer than six or seven weeks, and the Anthistiria imberbis is 



* I saw a single specimen of Eragrosiis chalcantha in flower on 

 February 24th, 19 19. 



