68 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS — SECTION C. 



large and too varied for even the Spermaphyta to be adequately 

 treated in one comprehensive work. 



A Series of Local Floras. 



A better solution of the problem would be the preparation 

 and publication of han(ll)(>()ks to the local floras, designed to 

 cover approximate phyto-geographical regions rather than the 

 political, but unnatural. Provincial areas. 



The exact delimitation of the areas should be decided by a 

 conference of local botanists, but as a basis for discussion L 

 would suggest the following six regions; — 



I. The South-Western Coast Region, from the Oliphants 

 River to the Gamtoos River mouth, comprising mainly the region 

 of winter rainfall. 



n. The Karroo Region (the " Central Region " of the 

 '' Flora Capensis "), including the Cape Midlands north to the 

 Orange River, and the Eastern Province from the Gamtoos to 

 the Kei. 



III. The Eastern Region, the coastal belt from the Kei 

 River to Portuguese territory, and including the Transkeian 

 Territories, Pondoland, Griqualand Jiast, Natal and Zululand. 



IV. The Transvaal Region^ including the Transvaal, 

 Orange Free State, Basutoland, Swaziland, Griqualand West 

 and British Bechuanaland. 



V. The Western Region from the tropic to the Oliphants 

 River, including the South-W'est Protectorate and Great and 

 Little Namaqualand. 



\'I. The Rhodesian Region, including Rhodesia, the 

 Bechuanaland I'rotectorate and Nyassaland. 



I will anticipate criticism by pointing out that the limits of 

 these proposed Regional Floras do not necessarily coincide with 

 the boundaries of our imperfectly understood phyto-geographical 

 regions. We have to take into account the distribution of the 

 white i)o])ulation, and the sale and use of our Floras in the 

 schools. They do coincide pretty well with the regional classifica- 

 tion adopted in the " Flora Capensis." as defined in the Preface 

 to Volume VI ; but I have naturally added Swaziland to the 

 misnamed Kalahari Region, as its flora appears to me 

 to be more nearly continuous with that of the North- 

 Eastern Transvaal than with that of Natal and Zululand, from 

 which it is cut off by the Lubombo Mountains. I have also, 

 and I believe rightly, transferred to the Karroo Region 

 that portion of the " Coast Region " of the " Flora 

 Capensis " having a distinctly summer rainfall, and lying be- 

 tween the Gamtoos and Kei Rivers, containing, as it does, such 

 a large element of Karroo flora among the Zwartkops, Sundays, 

 and Fish Rivers ; even if this should be open to question from 

 the phyto-geographical point of view, it has an important practi- 

 cal bearing, inasmuch as it increases the utility and consequent 

 selling value of the '' Karroo Flora " (which could scarcely be 

 supported by the sparse Karroo population) by including the 



