26 MRS MARY ROSS COOPER ON 
Monocotyledons are represented by 19 orders, the 
largest being Gramine, with 55 genera, and Liliacese and 
Orchidez, having respectively 29 and 25 genera. 
Of Vascular Cryptogams there are five or six orders, the 
most comprehensive of which is Filices, the fern family. 
It contains 35 genera, but many of them have very few 
species. The largest genera are Asplenium and Polypodium. 
Cellular Cryptogams, Fungi, Algze, etc., have not yet, so far 
as I know, been classified. 
Although Natal cannot be said to be well-wooded, and 
tree-planting is very desirable, there are what may be 
called natural forests, or, at least, the remains of them, on 
the coast, in the midlands, and in the uplands, each having, 
characteristic trees. The coast is fringed with a belt of 
evergreens, reaching about twelve miles inland, and having, 
apparently, in the distance the appearance of shrubs, although 
they range from 30 to 60 feet high. Many of them are 
leguminous trees, bearing gay, bright-coloured flowers—such 
as the Erythrina Caffra (Kafir-boom), covered in winter 
with gorgeous scarlet blossoms, arranged in thick clusters 
of papilionaceous fiowers: the Albizzia fastigiata, or Flat- 
crown, a kind of wild Acacia, whose branches, with their 
soft, trembling green leaves spread out horizontally at the 
top of the stem, afford a delicious shade from the oppres- 
sive heat: the Strelitzia: different species of aloes; leaf- 
less, succulent Euphorbia trees, and several species of 
Ficus (figs). I may specially mention the Ficus Natalensis 
—the Um-Tombi of the natives—which has a somewhat 
singular life-history. In early life it is a true parasite. 
After germinating on the tree on which it has been de- 
posited, it grows upwards and downwards, enveloping in 
its folds the tree on which it grows, until it entirely 
destroys it, and, rooting itself in the ground, takes the 
place of its unfortunate host. There are only two in- 
digenous genera of the order Palmee—Phcenix and Hyphene, 
each having only one species. The Amatungula is also 
common on the coast—an evergreen shrub, with dark green 
glossy leaves, beautiful white star-like blossoms, and lovely 
crimson fruit. 
Higher up country, in the midlands, the natural trees 
