132 



Rurnex acetosella is often a very troublesome weed and 

 R. obtusi folia also occurs. The inkberries (or uMaliedeni), 

 Phytolacca stricta and P. octandra are very abundant often 

 in waste land. The Mexican poppy Argemone mexicana 

 spreads rapidly along- roadsides and over rubbish heaps, etc. 

 Richardsonia pilosa is a common road side species. 



Other ruderal species may be listed together as follows: — 

 Sisymbrium capense, S. officinale, Lepidiuni capense, Sinapis 

 retrorsa, Funiaria officinalis, Stellaria media, Spergula 

 arvensis, Silene gallica, Portulaca olcracea, Oxalis corniculata,. 

 Oenothera biennis, Hydrocotyle asiatica, Spermacoce natal- 

 ensis, Asclepias fruticosa, Wahlenbergia undulata, Anagallis 

 arvensis, Cynoglossum enerve, Echium violaceum, Convol- 

 vulus arvensis, Ceratotheca triloba (uDonquabathwa), Barleria 

 obtusa, Hebenstreitia integrifolia, Lantana salvifoiia, Lippia 

 asperifolia (umSuzwane), Verbena tcncra, Plantago major, 

 Mirabilis jalapa, Arnarantus paniculatus, A. spinosus, A. 

 thunbergii, Alternanthera achyrantha, Cyathula cylindrica,. 

 C. globulifera, Chenopodium ambrosioides , C. botrys, C. 

 viurale, Celosia trigyna, Polygonum aviculare, P. serrulatuiu, 

 P. con vol ml us, P. fagopyruiu, Euphorbia sanguinea, E. 

 peplus, E. hyperici folia, Acalypha eckloni, Ricinus com- 

 munis (Castor oil or umHlakuva), Cannabis satira, Urtica 

 iirens, Cyperus esculentus, species of Fiinbristylis. 



Mixed with the weeds, there are a number of ruderal 

 grasses. Some of them are cultivated either as fodder plants 

 or by the natives or whites for the sake of their grain, e.g., 

 Paspaluin dilatatum, Eleusine indica (uMunyankomo), E. 

 corocana (uPoko), Pennisetum typhoideum (Xyaloti), Andro— 

 pogon sorghum var. usorum, etc. (Amabele or Kafir Corn), 

 Panicum miliare, Eragrostis dbyssinica (Teff grass), Avena 

 sativa (Oats). 



Both Dactyloctenium aegyptiacum and Stenotaphrum 



glabra in, as well as the Cynodons, are used for making lawns 

 and often occur as ruderals. 



Some of the other ruderal species are exotics, e.g., Loliuin 

 tcmulentum, L. multifloruin, Holcus lanatus, Briza niinor,. 

 B. maxima, Poa annua, P. trivialis, Bromus maximus, B. 

 ii niolnides, Plialaris minor , Avena fatua, A. barbata, Panicum 

 capillare. 



Among the indigenous grasses the Paniceae are best 

 represented. Digitaria ternata is very common in cultivated 



