28 FERN — FIRE- 



Seven-weeks fern ^ Hare's foot — . 



Silver — . Gymnogramma argentea. 



Staghorn — . Platy cerium hifurcatum. From the forests of 

 South -Eastern Africa, growing epiphytically on trunks 

 of trees. The convex, brown, cushion-like covers on l^he 

 trunk are barren fronds (green when young), whicli 

 shelter the pad-like masses of roots. 



Thirty-days — = Hare's foot — . 



Tree-fern (eastern). Cyathea Dregei. Stem up to 20 feet high. 

 „ „ (Forest — ). Hemitelia capensis. In wet spots of 

 forests from Table Mountain to East Africa. 



Umbrella — . Gleichenia umhracuUfera (eastern). 



Fever tree. Acacia xanthophloea. Growing in the subtropical 

 swamps of the north-eastern parts, hence the name. See 

 also Eucalyptus in part III. 



Fig, Hottentot's — . Mesemhrianthemum edule. Flowers 



yellow or purplish. 

 „ , Sour — . Mesemhrianthemum acinaciforme. Flowers 

 purple. The two kinds and their names are well distin- 

 guished by the natives, v. Vijg. 

 „ , Wild — (Bush). Ficus capensis. A large forest-tree. 

 Caulifloral, i.e., the clusters of flowers (and fruit) appear 

 on the old wood or even on the old roots near the trunk. 

 Fruit an inch or more in diam. The other indigenous 

 non-tropical species of Ficus have small fruits. 

 „ -Marigold. (Vijge-bossie). Species of Mesemhrianthe- 

 mum. The genus is principally S.A., having its head- 

 quarters in the Karoo. About 400 species, many with 

 gorgeous flowers, yellow, orange, magenta, pink or white. 

 Some of the best-known varieties for rock-gardens are 

 M. aureum, M. aurantiacum, M. amoenum, M. spectahile, 

 etc. M. criniflorum a favoured annual with a variety of 

 colours. Name derived from the vernacular name of 

 M. edule (v. Hottentot's — ). 



Fijne bos. Euryops linifolius. 



Fila'bos. Laurophyllus capensis. Mts. at Knysna, etc. 



Fire lily (Na). Cyrtanthus sanguineus. 



Fire sticks. Pieces of wood employed by the natives for 

 producing fire in the absence of matches, etc. The wood 



