127 



The effect of grass burning on the autumnal aspect 

 societies is exactly the opposite of that on vernal aspect 

 societies. The former are often transitional to forest, or at 

 any rate represent post climax phases of the succession, and 

 they are kept in check or even destroyed by grass burning. 

 They are not favoured by having the ground laid bare in 

 Spring as the vernal aspect societies are, they do not have 

 the same large underground storage organs, temperature for 

 them is not such an important factor, and in every respect 

 thev differ in their ecological behaviour from the lower grow- 

 ing, earlier developing, vernal species. 



The Transition to Woodland (Post climax grassland). 



A great deal of the Eastern grassland at the present time 

 occupies what are natural Forest climatic habitats. The 

 South Eastern slopes of the High Veld in Natal very com- 

 monly do bear Forests if they have not been destroyed, and 

 over most of the High Veld timber trees may be successfully 

 grown. If Grassveld, which occupies such Forest areas, is 

 left unburnt for a number of years, the early stages of a 

 Forest sere soon make an appearance. 



The first stage is usually the replacing of Andropogon- 

 Anthistiria Veld by taller Andropogon species of the Cymbo- 

 pogon section — the grasses which are commonly referred to as 

 Tambookie. The Tambookie consocies that is most frequent 

 is one dominated by .4. nardus var. validus, a lemon scented 

 grass known to the natives of Natal as isiQunga and used by 

 them medicinally. A. dregeanus (uQunga), another equally 

 tall species, is also common, and A. auctus (also called 

 uQunga), which is rather like .4. hirtus, but taller, is a third 

 member of the associes. The three species are often mixed. 

 At the present time attention is being directed to them in 

 connection with the possible establishing of a paper-making 

 industry in the Union. Other species of Andropogon which 

 belong to the same transitional stage of the succession are not 

 so common, e.g., A. plurinodis, A. rufus, A. dichroos (a 

 spring flowering species), A. filipendulus, A. cymbarius and 

 its variety lepidus. The Tambookie and other taller Cymbo- 

 pogon associes are not confined to the early stages of the 

 Forest sere. They are also characteristic of the hydrosere 

 and often occur in the sub-sere, where land has been culti- 

 vated. 



There are several other grasses which are characteristic 

 of the early Forest stages: — Erinnthus capensis (umTala) and 



