318 



BOTANY 



(especially Buddu), and of the Sese Islands. Forest of \^'est African affinities 

 is al^o present in Western Unyoro and Toro, on the west slopes of Mount 

 Elgon and the Nandi Escarpment, and in the Lower Seniliki Valley and 

 Western Ankole. Many of the trees in these forests are also present in the 

 Congo basin and the Gaboon and Carneroons ; but some, though very nearly 

 allied to West African forms, are in actual affinity with forest trees of the 

 western Nile ba^in. Palms of the g-enera Elans and Calamus so charac- 



14%. 



213. JlRVTHK/y.l loMJ \/i's.l lAKlN Hi I HK "KAKFIK IKiiiM Ot' SOUTH Al l:ir\' 



teristic of West Africa appear to be totally absent from the Uganda 

 forests.* 



(o) The Plateau or Alpine Region.— Y.vevywhere between 6,500 and 

 10,000 feet there is a flora which recalls alternately the trees and jjlants 

 of temperate .South Africa and temperate Abyssinia. It is characterised 

 by the shorter grass, the presence of conifers (yew and juniper), witch-iiazels 

 (Trichocladus), of Hahenaria orchids, bamboos, giant lobelias, giant groundsels, 

 brambles, tree-heaths, tree-ferns, dracienas (these also grow down to 4,000 



* >Sir Henry Stanley, however, asserts that he saw the EUtls or Oil palm growing, 

 in the Semliki Forest (Buamba) on the verge of the Congo Free State. 



