52 
Copaifera Mopane is first met with five miles north of Sulphur 
Springs hotel and about a mile from the springs. It occurs there 
as pure scrub of an open character, attaining a height of from 5 
to 15 feet, and growing in red sand from which grasses and other 
vegetation are conspicuously absent. A few miles further north, on 
better soil in company with grass, it is found from 20 to 40 feet high. 
Still further north I came across an area of this species only 2 to 
5 feet high with grass growing amongst it. The soil in this 
locality, however, is poor and shallow. Between Blauwkop (2200 
feet) and Messina (2000 feet) it grows mixed with other scrub and 
rarely reaches larger dimensions than 25 feet. 
Maerua rigida* ? (no, 4903) was collected at Blauwkop, and a 
species of Sterculia (no. 4904) between there and Sand River. At 
the latter place a species of Boscia (near B. Pechuelii) and Acacia 
albida were gathered. The Acacia grows to a large size and 
is found along the course of the river. [According to Rochebrune in 
“ Toxicologie Africaine ” this tree is the source of Gum Salabreda, 
a vermicelli-like gum which exudes in tears of the thickness of a 
goose-quill, more or less undulated, of a faintly yellowish colour 
with a finely fissured surface in small cubes, and breaking with a 
glassy fracture. In Trans. Linn. Soc., Vol. xxix., p. 67, Grant 
states that the tree is known in Nubia under the name of “ Laraz,” 
and that the leaves are eaten by goats and the bark used in curing 
leather.] A fan-leaved palm, probably a species of Hyphaene which 
I did not collect, large sized leadwoods (Combretum porphyrolepis) 
and Lonchocarpus Capassa were fairly common at Blaauwkop. 
Between this place and Messina, Acacia Senegal* (no. 4910) was 
gathered. It grows very straight and is conspicuous on account of 
its height, often being half as tall again as the rest of the scrub. 
It was just breaking into leaf at the time of my visit. 
At Messina, Cassia abbreviata (no. 4909) and Acacia kwebensis* 
no. 4907) were collected. The following trees were also seen: 
Adansonia digitata*, Zizyphus mucronata, Selerocarya caffra, 
Cassia sp., Copaifera Mopane, Lonchocarpus Capassa, Acacia 
pallens and Combretum sp. The Adansonia occurs from north 
of Wylie’s Gorge to the Limpopo, attaining larger dimensions 
and becoming more abundant as one proceeds northward. 
Along the Limpopo, 12 miles north-west of Messina at an eleva- 
tion of 1600 feet, the following trees were observed : Adansonia 
digitata*, Lonchocarpus Capassa, Copaifera Mopane, Acacia pallens 
and the fever tree (Acacia zanthophloea) which was in flower. The 
abundance of scent emanating from the flowers of the last mentioned : 
is remarkable, even for an Acacia. The banks of the river in this 
