356 FLORA OF ISIPIXGO. 



The Flats, which stretch from the foot of the Isipingo Beach 

 Bluff to the railway station, are used as grazing fields for cattle 

 and consequently the vegetation is stunted in growth. 



Between the Beach Hill and the river, marshes occur every 

 here and there, where Juncus spp. is dominant, the trees being 

 Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Hibiscus tiliaceut. 

 All over the Flats the edible guava (Psidum sp.) is very common. 

 Acacia spp. are also common, and growing in the shade among 

 the species of Juncus are Lobelia natalensis and Rhamphicarva 

 tubulosa. Parts of the Flats near the river and above the Lagoon 

 are covered with a dense mangrove association and Scirpus-Jun^.-is 

 formation. 



The plants found on the Flats may be divided into two 

 classes, those found near pools, and those found in the drier parts. 

 Those found near the pools are Lobelia spp., Physalis minima, 

 Aeschynomene uniflora, Alternanthera sessilis, Polygonum serru- 

 latum, Typha natalensis, Pharnaceum dislichum, Jussieae suffru- 

 ticosum, 01 tic nl an dia macrophylla, Hydrocotyle bonariense, Sptt- 

 anthes africana, Ranunculus pinnatus, Solatium nigrum, Sesbania 

 aegyptica, Aerva lanata, Ambrosia artemesiae folia, Anesorhiza 

 caffra, Corchorus trilocularis, Floscopa glomerata and Eriosper- 

 mum natalense. 



The plants collected in the drier parts were Geratotheca 

 triloba, Chenopodium ambrosoides, G. alburn, Crotalaria lanceo- 

 lata, G. distans, Erigeron canadense, Senecio serratuloides, Erio- 

 sema sp., Cephalaria ustulata, Eriosema parviflorum, Endostemori 

 obtusifoliunis, Eclipta erecta, Indigofera eriocarpa, I. micrantJia, 

 I polycarpa, I. endecaphylla , Indigofera spp., IlgpocJioeris glab- 

 rata, Galactia t en ui flora, Galopina oxi/sperminn, Gelonium afri- 

 canum, Nemesia cynanchi folia, Polt/gala cappillaris, P. rarifolia, 

 Pulicaria capensis, PJiyllanth us t melius, P. meyerianus, Senecio 

 pterophorus, Sutera corymbosa, Aloe saponaria, Gassia mitnosoides, 

 G. occidentalis, Desmodium incanum, Diantlms prostrata, Senecio 

 paniculat us, S. sjieciosus, Snlanum incanum, Tephrosia macropoda, 

 T. elongata, Hypoxia filiformis and Hypoxia woodii. 



There are few trees or shrubs other than the mangroves, 

 Psidium sp., Acacia sjip. and Hibiscus tiliaceus, but scattered 

 shrubs of Brachylaena discolor, Ficits cordata, Melia azedarach, 

 Eugenia cordata, Rhus laevigata, Dichrostachys nutans, I'lec- 

 tronia obovatum, P. spinosa and Randia rudis occur. Along the 

 road side rows of Eucalyptus sp., the common blue gum, have 

 been planted, and now in many places young trees are springing 

 up. 



There are four formations on the Flats. The first consists of 

 an Andropogon association with Andropogon hard us as the 

 dominant plant, next a large patch with Rubus rigid us predom- 

 inating. Then follows the largest portion with Senecio serratu- 

 loides growing very densely. Among these formations the follow- 

 ing plants were collected: Asclepias physocarpa, S cilia rigidifolia, 

 Dolichos axilaris, Cephalaria ustulata, Agrylobium adscendens, A. 

 marginatum, Tephrosia spp., and others which are mentioned 

 above. 



