FLORA Ol- P()Krr(;UF.SK EAST AFRICA. 295 



Coa.stward. the rivers are tidal and saline, often forming" 

 lagoons; inland, and especially westward, beantiful rushing" 

 streams on rocky beds are abundant dtiring the rainy summer 

 season, though in most parts of tlie Province these stream- 

 beds are dry during" winter. 



Though localities differ, the rainfall is usually abundant and 

 torrential from November to March, and small or absent dur- 

 ing" the other months; tne higher western localities receive 

 much more rainfall and moisture than the coast districts, and 

 consequently contain better forests as well as better grazing" 

 grounds. But taking" the year as a "v^diole, and with regard to 

 localities away from the lagoons on the one hand and the 

 mountains on the other, there is a tendency toward arid condi- 

 tions, which, with the high temperature, tells upon the vegeta- 

 tion. 



This is more marked in some localities than in others, and 

 it is on this characteristic, together with soil and localitv. that 

 variations mostly depend. 



Taken collectively the l^ora may be described as a sub-arid 

 tropical legiuninous vegetation, mostly ligneous, but with con- 

 siderable local variation, and with a fair admixture of trees 

 and shrubs belonging" to other orders, but comparatively few' 

 herbaceous species, and in some large areas very little grass. 

 iM-om that of the adjoining" British Colonies the flora differs 

 in marked fashion, though the zone limits do not alwavs cor- 

 respond exactly with the geographical botmdaries. In the 

 south, for instance, the Maputa valley is homogeneous in its 

 "•egetation whether in the Province or in Natal, and 

 corresponds in soil and vegetation with other valleys 

 northward, but differs considerably from other por- 

 tions of Xatal, especially in its species of Acacia, 

 which genus is well represented in both areas. It also 

 differs in having Laiidolpliia in abundance, and it has numerotis 

 Peguminous trees, as well as species of Ficus, Adiua, Anona. 

 Carcinia, Stcrculia, Cola, Vitcx. Combrctum, etc., which do 

 not extend further south, and the exotic, but abundant. 

 Anacardium uccidcntalc (the Cashew nut) finds its southern 

 limit of naturalisation here. 



On the Swazi, Transvaal and Rhodesian boundaries, the 

 greater altitude of these colonies eliminates a large number of 

 species in both directions, though the amount of overlap is 

 considerable, including Kaffrarian forest species such as 

 Podocarpus, Toddalia. Ccltis, Olca. Ptcrocclastrus, Cussonia. 

 etc.. which, extending" through the upland forests of Natal, 

 are represented more or less sparingly in the Lebombo range. 



On the sea dunes and on sandy tracts near the coast there 

 is also a surprising" amount of shrub overlap from the south, 

 and in several coast localities north of the Pimpopo almost 

 every tree and shrub noted was common to Natal, including": 

 Olca vcrnicoso, Rhus longifolia, Schmidclia monoph\Ua. 

 Eugenia cordata, Barviugtonia mcanosa. Combrctum Kraussii, 

 C. salicifolium. Commiphora Harvcyii. C. car\ccfolia, Ochiia 

 arborca, TrichUia cmcfica, Toddalia lanccolafa, Xa)ifhoxxlum 



