205 



collected in Italian territory, the whole collection was made 

 between Bohotle and Berbera and comprises 31 species, several of 

 which are new to science. Col. Appleton, who from his special 

 duties was naturally interested in questions of forage, paid 

 particular attention to the grasses, and attached valuable notes to 

 his specimens concerning their quality as fodder plants. He also 

 added occasionally observations on their mode of growth, and 

 carefully localised the samples. A third set of Somali grasses was 

 received in several instalments through the Colonial Office ami 

 the Imperial Institute in 1905 and 1906. They were collected by 

 Dr. R. E. Drake- Brockman, mostly in the Golis Range. The only 

 notes accompanying these specimens refer to vernacular names, 

 which ought to prove very useful for practical purposes. 

 Dr. Drake-Brockman's collection yielded over 40 species of grasses. 

 Of other Somali collections which have provided maierial for this 

 paper I may mention those of Major D. Thomson, 128th Pioneers, 

 and of Fleet-Paymaster W. Wykeham Perry. The former col- 

 lected in the Hand in 1903 (three species), whilst the latter's 

 grasses (two species) were gathered near Berbera in 1878. 



As might be expected, the climatically favoured mountain 

 ranges which separate the littoral zone from the Haud, the plateau 

 land of the interior, have yielded the greatest number of species. 

 But it is precisely in the interior that the grass steppe attains its 

 greatest development, covering immense tracts, as in Toyo, or 

 alternating with tree steppe and thorn bush, or passing into 

 desert. The sketch map of Northern Somali land by Aylmer, 

 Parkinson and Brander Durbar in the Geographical Journal for 

 1898 (p. 112) characterises Toyo as an M immense open treeless 

 grassy plain." North-east of it " a treeless errassy plain " is shown 

 to extend as far as the Tug Der, and due east of 'the Toyo we find 

 " trees, open patches and tall Durr grass " (Andropogon cyrto- 

 cladus). A " short grass plain with little or no jungle " is entered 



same 



farther east at the foot of the Artalla Range. Further explora- 

 tion will, no doubt, considerably raise the number of grass species 

 represented in the Haud ; but at the same time it is probable that 



grasses 



up by number of individuals for what they lack in variety. 



The list of grasses given here comprises 82 species. This is a 

 very considerable number, when the imperfect exploration of the 

 Protectorate is taken into account 



For comparison it may be mentioned that the United Kingdom 

 and Ireland, with an area almost twice as large as that of British 

 Somaliland, possess 135 species of grasses (7-25 per cent, of their 

 phanerogamic flora), Italy, with its immensely rich and varied 

 flora and an area 1-6 times as large, 285 (7 per cent.) and Egypt 

 proper, six times the size of the Protectorate, 143 (11 per cent,). 

 In its composition this grass flora is thoroughly tropical, practi- 

 cally all the species belonging to tribes which are characteristic of 

 the tropical floras and of their intrusions into the temperate zones. 

 Thus Paniceae number 23, the Sporoboleae and Eragrosteae 

 together 15, Chlorideae 13, Andropogoneae 12 species, whilst 

 genera which conld be classed as boreal types are entirely absent. 

 The close affinity of the Somali flora to that of Eritrea and 



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