Chap. V] TROPICAL DISTRICTS WITH DRY SEASONS 369 



I'licholacna, Sctaria, Pcnnisetuml, Agrostideae (Sporobolus, xVristida gracillima), 

 L'liloridcae (Enteropogon, Chloris, Leptochloa, Lcpidopironial, Aveneae (Tristacliya, 

 Trichopteryx), Festuceae (Eragrostis). The subordinate herbs growing among the 

 grasses are ' partly bulbous or rhizomatous plants with solitary flowering shoots, 

 partlj' herbaceous perennials that form a short low stock and send up a tuft of 

 flowering shoots.' Herbaceous Monocotyledones are not numerous. Engler 

 specially mentions Ancilenia Johnstonii, Commclina bracteosa, Chlorophytum 

 macrophyllum and C. tuberosum, Gloriosa virescens, also some species of Scilla, 

 ^Vsparagus, some Amaryllidaceae (Haemanthus, Hypoxis), Iridaceae (Acidanthera), 

 Orchidaceae (Lissochilus, Ilabenaria). Among Dicotj'ledones, greyish-green 

 uAniaranthaccae, not unfrequentlj' 1-2 meters high, take a prominent place ; they 

 ong chiefly to Celosia, Digera, Sericocomopsis, Pupalia, Aerva, Achyranthes, 

 Nothosaerva. The N3xtaginaceae are represented by the common weed Boer- 

 naavia diffusa, the Aizoaceae rather weakly by Trianthema pentandrum and Glinus 

 otoides, the Phytolaccaceae by two annual succulent herbs, Limeum viscosum and 

 jiesekia pharnaceoides. Talinum patens, a succulent weed belonging to the Portu- 

 acaceae, is common. The Cruciferae are very scanty (two species of Farsetia). 

 A. strong contingent comes from the Papilionaceae, especially species of Indigofera and 

 Fephrosia, besides several Hedysareae (Zornia, Stylosanthes, Desmodium, Pseudar- 

 hria),Phaseoleae (Rhynchosia, Eriosema), and many others. TheCaesalpiniaceae are 

 joorly represented bj' a few Cassieae. Species of Polj'gala, Malvaceae, and Sterculia- 

 eae are fairly numerous. The Euphorbiaceae are few, and there are no Umbelliferae. 

 ^mong the Gamopetalae, Asclepiadaceae (Gomphocarpus, Stathmostelma, Schizo- 

 lossum) and Convolvulaceae (Convolvulus, Ipomoea, especially Astrochlaena) play 



prominent part by their abundance and by their large flowers. Labiatae are also 

 lumerous (especially species of Leucas), but the most numerous of all Dicotyledones 

 re Acanthaceae (especially species of Justicia, Barleria, Blepharis capensis, Neur- 

 lanthus scaber). The family of Compositae, which is so richly developed in the 

 iouth American prairie, is poor in forms in the South African, and is limited to 

 pecies belonging to Vernonieae and Inuleae. The following families also 

 upply representatives of subordinate import : Gentianaceae (Enicostemma verti- 

 illatum), Boraginaceae (species of Heliotropium), Verbenaceae (Leptostachys), 

 icrophulariaceae (Striga, Scoparia), Solanaceae (Solanumj, Cucurbitaceac 

 Corallocarpus, Cucumis), Passifloraceae (Tryphostemma, Adenia), and Rubiaceae 

 Oldenlandiai. 



Engler's biis/i-ffrnss-s/cppe, a shrub-savannali according to our terminology, 

 ontains singly, or in small groups, various kinds of shrubs. The following are 

 epresented : Anonaceae (Anona senegalensis), Capparidaceae iCapparis, Courbonia, 

 -adaba, Maerua, Thylachium), Leguminosae (Acacia, Diphaca), Malpighiaceae (Di- 

 -pis albida, Triaspis auriculata), Euphorbiaceae (species of Phyllanthus, Bridelia, 

 ■ calypha, Flueggea), Anacardiaceae (Rhus villosa, R. glaucescens), Celastraceae 



'vmnosporia senegalensis), Sapindaceae (Deinbollia borbonica), Rhamnaceae 

 Zizyphus Jujuba), Thymelaeaceae iGnidia), Verbenaceae (Bouchea pterygocarpal, 

 .canthaceae (Blechum hamatum, Hygrophila Volkensiil, Rubiaceae (Crossopterj'x 



ricana, Gardenia Thunbergii). 



The trees in Engler's tree-grass-skppe, a real savannah according to our 



rminology, are chiefly species of Acacia (A. subulata, A. Seyal, A. spirocarpa, 



SCHIMPER J> ]3 



