94 



stricta is an interesting boreal species, recorded as common 

 along the strand at Port Elizabeth, near the Eastern boundary 

 of the region of Macchia. The following are other literal 

 South- Western sand dune species: Panicuin distichum var. 

 nanum, Stenotaphrum glabrum, Ehrharta brevifolia, E. caly- 

 cina, E. villosa, E. uniflora, Brizopyrum acutiflorum. 



In the final stages, the sand dunes become covered with 

 sclerophyllous shrubs forming Macchia, among which the 

 following are characteristic species: — Passerina filiformis, 

 Mundia spinosa, Psoralen bracteatd, Myrica cord i folia, M. 

 quercifolia, Metalasia wvricata, Othonna parviflora, Rims 

 glauca, R. lucida, Euclea racemosa, Phylica ericoides, 

 Chironia baccifera, Asparagus capensis, A. medioloides, Leii- 

 cospermum uliginosum and species of Erica. As undergrowth, 

 there is a great variety of herbaceous forms, among which the 

 grasses play a somewhat subordinate part. The following 

 occur: — Andropogon nardus var. marginatus, A. Iiirtvs, 

 Koeleria cristata, Achneria ecklonii, Pe?itaschistis aristidoides, 

 P. tJiunbergii, P. patula, P. curvi folia, Danihonia lupulina, 

 Polypogon monspeliensis , P. tenuis, Aristida angustata, A. 

 capensis, Eragrostis brizoides, Melica race7iwsa, Lasiochloa 

 Ion gi folia, L. ciliaris, T^rochlaena pusilla, Brizopyrvm 

 capense, Atropis barren, A. angusta. 



D. Eudeeal Species of Grasses. 



These are characteristic of waste land or cultivated land, 

 and often mark the initial stages of a sub-sere, being gradually 

 ousted by Macchia shrubs. The stages are the most easily 

 followed of all plant successions. It is noteworthy that the 

 annuals are far in excess of the perennials. Annuals are 

 characterisic of nil disturbed habitats, but they are also char- 

 acteristic of dry or desert regions, where they rest for long 

 periods of drought in the form of seed. The hot, dry summers 

 of the South-West makes the establishing of perennial pioneer 

 species more difficult, since pioneers which colonize new soils 

 or bare areas have no shelter in the earlv seedling- stages. This 

 also leads to an increase in the number of annuals, which 

 though they are common enough as ruderals on the Eastern 

 side are still more so on the West and South-West. Among 

 the ruderals are also included a large number of introduced 

 species. We may therefore classify the ruderal grasses of this 

 reg-ion as follows : — 



