230 Transactions of the Soutli African Philosojjhical Society. 



China, or north-westward to Patagonia and beyond, on the South 

 Am6uican continent. 



For a further and more detailed study of this deeply interesting 

 subject the student is referred to the Essay of Sir J. Hooker, 

 cited above. 



The Effects of Bush Fiees on the Vegetation. 



In conclusion, some allusion may be made to the question 

 whether any, and if so what, influence has been exercised upon 

 the Flora of the Cape Peninsula and of South Africa generally by the 

 widely-prevalent custom of burning the vegetation annually, in order, 

 as it is said, that the young grass may grow more readily for the 

 benefit of the live-stock. It may possibly be that this practice is of 

 great antiquity ; that it prevailed before the advent of Europeans ; 

 that it may have originated without the intervention of man, as 

 from lightning or from heat produced by the impact of masses of 

 falling rock during the dry seasons, causes which are said to be still 

 in operation and to which the mountainous and precipitous character 

 of the country lends an appearance of probability ; that the results 

 appearing beneficial, by the growth of more tender herbage, the 

 aboriginal nomadic tribes imitated the processes of Nature, and 

 produced artificial fires ; and lastly that the early European colonists 

 followed their example. 



It has been observed here, as in other parts of the world, that 

 the ground after a fire is often covered with a number of plants 

 which had not been observed there previously, or at least for some 

 considerable time, so as to appear (to a people who made no records 

 of such facts), as if such plants were entirely new. Examples of 

 such appearances are familiar to all South African observers, 

 travellers, and collectors of plants, as well as of farmers ; and vague 

 ideas have been expressed that the great diversity of species ex- 

 hibited here is due in part at least to the prevalence of bush fires. 



This would probably be an erroneous supposition. The effect 

 of burning would surely tend rather to destroy some species, 

 especially annuals and hard-wooded plants, like heaths, which do not 

 readily send up shoots from the caudex. It is noticeable that on 

 mountain-sides where burning has been repeated plants with 

 deeply-seated bulbs or rhizomes prevail to a considerable extent. 

 Such are especially Bohartia spathacea^ some Watsonias [W. rosea, 

 &c.), and some of the stronger-growing Kestionace.e. It is of 

 course true that grasses and some other herbaceous plants fit for 

 stock-food might more readily appear after burning in some localities. 



