244 Mr Scott Elliot on the 



numerous and crowded. This form of plant is exemplified 

 in all sorts of orders, e.(/., by numerous species of HelicpMla 

 amongst Crucifene ; by many species of Polygala and of 

 Muraltia, of Polycarpon, of Herniannia and Mahernia, of 

 Felargonium, by the wliole section Diosmese of Eutacese, 

 by Phylica and Noltcci in Rhamnaccce ; in Leguminosae by 

 Ampliithalea, Borhonia, Ilafnia, Listia, Lebcclda, and others, 

 and most perfectly by the vast genus Afipalathus ; in 

 Rosacete, we find Cliffortia; the order Bruniaceic also consists 

 of such plants. The peculiar Umbellifer lihyticarpus approxi- 

 mates to the type, while in Rubiacese Spei^macoce, Galium, Siud 

 others exemplify it ; numerous Com2:)osit£e, specially Pteronia 

 and species of Helichrysum and Sicehe, as well as almost 

 all the tribe Pclhanice, show the same tendency. Some 

 Campanulaceie, e.y., Lobelia (ParastixmtJms) and Lightfootia are 

 of this type, but the genus Erica supplies the best example of 

 all ; there are, I suppose 350 species of Erica in the south- 

 west district of South Africa, and perhaps 23 in the eastern 

 district, where the same conditions do not hold. In Scrophu- 

 larineoe we have the whole tribe Manulese tending in the 

 same direction. The order Selagineae is practically composed 

 of this type, and w^e again find it in Serruria, Mimetes and 

 others of Proteaceai, in Gnidia and Lasiosiphon amongst 

 Thymelacete, in Penceaceie, and in the large genus Thesium 

 of Santalacete. 



Even in monocotyledons, where we should not expect to 

 find such a form, the tendency is clearly brought out in the 

 shrubby small-leaved Witsenia, and in a species of Ornitho- 

 galum with much-branched peduncle and small flowers, in 

 which the radical leaves are almost wanting, and the leaf- 

 f unction is performed by the bracts of the peduncle. 



These are, perhaps, enough examples, but the number 

 could be greatly increased. It is not, I think, hard to see 

 why this type should obtain so largely in the south-western 

 district. There is, to begin with, no winter worthy the name, 

 and therefore annuals would, when becoming acclimatised, 

 probably cease dying at the end of the year, because there 

 is no reason why they should. Certain European annuals 

 of cultivation have, in fact, become perennial. 



The climate is also characterised by a long and dry 

 summer and by plenty of wind. Such conditions obviously 



