318 



BOTANY 



(especially Buddu), and of the tSese Islands. Forest of W^est African affinities 

 is also present in Western Unyoro and Toro, on the west slopes of Mount 

 Elgon and the Nandi Escarpment, and in the Lower Semliki Valley and 

 Western Ankole. Many of the trees in these forests are also present in the 

 Congo basin and the (laboon and Cameroons ; but some, though very nearly 

 allied to West African forms, are in actual affinity with forest trees of the 

 western Nile basin. Palms of the gfenera Elans and Calamus so charac- 



213. j:i<)-jjn;j_\j /o.u/\/o_\.i (akin Td ■nil-: ■"kaffik ii(_)o.M" (_)f soitii ai km a,i 



teristic of West Africa appear to be totally absent from the Uganda. 

 forests.* 



(o) The Plateau or Alpine Region. — Everywhere between 6,500 and 

 10,000 feet there is a flora which recalls alternately the trees and plants 

 of temperate .South Africa and temperate Abyssinia. It is characterised 

 by the shorter grass, the presence of conifers (yew and juniper), witch-uazels 

 (Trichoclddus), of Habenaria orchids, bamboos, giant lobelias, giant groundsels, 

 brambles, tree-heaths, tree-ferns, draca'uas (these also grow down to 4,000 



* Sir Henry Stanley, however, asserts that be saw the £l<ris or Oil i)alui growing' 

 in the Semliki Forest (Buamha) on the verge of the Congo Free State. 



