74 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION C. 



I. Protea Veld. Various species of Protea (e.g., P. roupelliae) 

 are dominant. This type is extensively developed on the lower 

 slopes of the Drakensberg. 



7. — Scrub and Forest. 

 The various close woodland plant communities in Natal, 

 though not all belonging to the same formation, may conveniently 

 be grouped together. They are generally known as Bush in Natal 

 — a somewhat vague term. The pioneers are shrubs which form 

 marginal zones following after tall Andropogon grasses. The suc- 

 cession is commonly initiated along the streams where the seeds are 

 carried by birds, etc., while the intervening ridges are colonised 

 later. The scrub zone provides the necessary shade for the species 

 which belong to subclimax and climax forest stages. These are 

 shade loving, at least in their early seedling stages of growth. The 

 following types of woodland may be distinguished, beginning with 

 the Coastbelt : — 



A. Mangrove Association. This occurs on the mudflats at the 

 river estuaries where the water is salt or brackish. The Natal 

 mangroves are Avicennia officinalis, Rkizopkora mucronata, 

 Bruguiera gymnothiza. 



B. Psammophilous Bush. This covers the coast sand dunes. 

 Earlier scrub stages consist of such species as Osteospermum 

 moniliferum, Strelitzia augusta, Eugenia capensis, etc., while 

 Mimusops caffra associated with many others is dominant in the 



■climax bush. Lianes are very numerous. 



C. Barringtonia Bush. {Barringtonia raccmosa, Hibiscus 

 tiliaceus, etc.) This type occurs at the river mouths above the 

 lagoons in wet, sandy soil, where the water is not brackish. 



D. Hygrophilous Scrub and Forest. This is closely related 

 to the corresponding tree veld, though only some of the species 



• composing it are capable of growing isolated. The various species 

 of Fig (Ficus spp.) are very characteristic. The Waterboom or 

 Umdoni (Eugenia cordata) is often dominant. Other common 

 species include Rauwolfia natalensis, Voacanga dregei, Macaranga 

 capensis, Combretum spp., Pittosporum viridiflorum, Trerna brac- 

 teolata, with, at higher altitudes, Ilex mitis, Erica spp., Arundi- 

 naria tesselata, Widdringtonia dr acorn ont ana. 



E. Coastbelt Forest. Protorhus longifolia, Albizzia fastigiata, 

 Rhus laevigata, Milletia caffra, Trichilia emetica are a few of the 

 most prominent species in this type. 



F. Midland Forest. The yellowwoods, Podocarpus latifolia 

 and P. elongata are usually dominant associated with Olea lauri- 

 folia, Ptaeroxylon utile, Olea foveolata, Xymalos monospora (often 



•dominant in moister spots), Celt is rhamnifolia, Kiggelaria 

 ■dregeana, Calodendron capense, Fagara davyi, Ocotea bullata, and 

 many others. Both in Coast Belt and Midland forest a host of 

 smaller trees occur in the marginal zone of scrub. 



G. Midland Dry Valley Scrub. (Karroid Scrub.) This is a 

 very distinct formation which occurs in the driest areas in Natal, 



