526 



ZONES AND REGIONS [Pt. Ill, Sect. II 



According to Bolus 1 , the south-western corner of Africa is covered with 

 evergreen ' low-growing scattered shrubs of a dark or bluish green hue.' 

 Its constituents usually have very small leaves, and are of a greyish-green 

 or dull colour, so that they produce a very sombre 

 effect at a distance. Near the coast, however, the 

 bushes are taller, at most 4-8 feet high. Trees, 

 Proteaceae in particular, are confined to the moist 

 slopes and ravines of Table Mountain (Fig. 270). 



In comparison with the leaves of the Mediterranean 

 woodland, very small leaves are even commoner here 

 (Figs. 291, 292), although relatively large leaves, for 

 instance in Leucadendron argenteum (Figs. 290, 294), 

 are not wanting in somewhat damper places. Here, 

 the climate appears also to have influenced the flowers, 

 which are usually very small but closely packed 

 together, and often exhibit a reduction in the corolla 

 in favour of the stamens. Annuals appear to be 

 wanting. These slight oecological differences between 

 the woodland in Cape Colony and in the Mediter- 

 ranean countries are connected with the still greater 

 dryness of Cape Colony, but are unimportant when 

 compared with the very many points of agree- 

 ment. The agreement also extends to the subordi- 



PlG. 292. heterophyllous ... . , . r 



flora of Cape Colony. Clif- nate associated plants, among which, in the first 

 fortia lhcifoha (Rosaceae). p ] ace are bulbous and tuberous ones. But thorny, 



Natural size. l J 



aphyllous, and succulent plants, also woody plants 

 with pinnate leaves (Fig. 293), are only weakly developed ; on the other 

 hand, they play an essential part in the neighbouring districts, in which 

 the rainfall, though no greater or possibly even less, has a different distri- 

 bution in time. 



According to Scott-Elliot 2 : 'Collections of plants made wholly on the lower 

 slopes of, say, Table Mountain, the Lion's Head, the Devil's Peak, the Muizenberg, 

 and the Houwhoek Mountains near Caledon . . . show remarkable resemblance in 

 the habit and appearance of the plants. They are all shrubby perennials. There is 

 apparently not a single undoubtedly indigenous annual in the south-western flora. 

 The leaves are small, hard, and frequently rolled at the edge, while the flowers are 

 also small, though numerous and crowded. This form of plant is exemplified in all 

 sorts of orders, e.g. by numerous species of Heliophila amongst Cruciferae ; by 

 many species of Polygala and of Muraltia, of Polycarpon, of Hermannia and 

 Mahernia, of Pelargonium, by the whole section Diosmeae of Rutaceae, by Phylica 

 and Noltea in Rhamnaceae ; in Leguminosae by Amphithalea, Borbonia, Ramia, 



1 Bolus, op. cit., p. 2! 



2 Scott-Elliot, op. cit., p. 243. 



