55 



over S. Africa in Vleis, and near stream banks, and is often 

 dominant in patches forming socies in the hydrosere. A. 

 suavis forms definite societies in the Mountain Veld of the* 

 Drakensberg around Van Eeenen's Pass. A. bergiana is an 

 annual, common at the Cape and extending to Natal. A. 

 verticillata is ruderal at the Cape, and A. griquensis is an 

 annual only recorded for Griqualand West. A. natalensis is 

 a rare Natal species. The leaves of most species of Agrostis 

 are usually flat with numerous unequal ridges, with only small 

 patches of sclerenchyma at the apex of each ridge. 



Aira caryophyllea (Silvery Hair grass). Found in sandy 

 places or ruderal in the South West. Introduced. 



Ammophila arundinacea (Marram grass) has been planted 

 on sand dunes along the coast. 



Andropogon. (See Fig. 1 G and Fig 2 E.) Following 

 the arrangement of Hackel, and that by Stapf in the Flora 

 Capensis, I have not adopted any sub-division for this large 

 genus, which is on the whole the most important in South 

 Africa, especially in the climax stages of Eastern Grassveld. 

 Ecologically the genus may be divided into several distinct 

 groups. The sub-genus Sdrghum contains A. haJepcnsis,. 

 which is chiefly ruderal or hygrophilous, and the nearly 

 allied A. sorghum with its numerous varieties (Kafir Corn or 

 Amabele and imFe), which is widely cultivated by the 

 natives. These two species are very distinct. Another small 

 group is confined to the semi-open veld, or dry rocky hillsides- 

 of the centre and west, viz., A. monticola var. trinii from 

 Bechuanaland, which is noted by Stapf as also occurring in 

 India, A. ischaemum var. radicans, A. schinzii, and A. annu- 

 latus. 



All the others are typically Eastern Grassveld types, 

 though A. hirtus, A. nardus var. marginatum and A. eucomus 

 occur sporadically among the Macchia shrubs of the South 

 Western region. In climax grassland of the Eastern side the 

 most important species is A. hirtus (inTunga) which forms 

 large consociations or associations with Anthistiria. Andro- 

 pogon ceresiaeformis is only slightly less important, being, 

 often associated with Anthistiria, and sometimes dominant. 



The other species which form societies in the Grassveld 

 are A. contortus, A. schirensis, A. amplectens, A. eucomus, 

 A. nardus var. marginatus, A. schoenanthus var. versicolor r 

 A. hirtiflorus, A. filipendulus, A. tra?isvaale7isis, or the 



