71 



Karroo. Through large areas of the southern Free Stiite« 

 Enneapogon-Eragrostis associations are dominant. E. mollis 

 and E. scaher are the two commonest species, extending west- 

 ward to Namaqualand and northwards through Bechuanaland, 

 E. scoparius belongs to the Karroo and Transvaal, and E. 

 hrachystachyus to the Free State and Griqualand West, but 

 the latter is also North African. The species are all xero- 

 phytic, tufted caespitose forms with narrow linear, often con- 

 volute leaves, and deep roots. The panicles are spikelike with 

 numerous awns. 



Entoplocamia aristulata. Endemic in Hereroland and 

 Namaqualand, not elsewhere. 



Eragi'ostis. (See Fig. 1 C.) If Panicum is understood 

 in the restricted sense as used in the Flora Capensis, then 

 Eragrostis is the largest genus in South Africa, and it is, I 

 think, the most difficult from the systematic standpoint, for 

 some of the species are most variable, though others are very 

 distinct. Like Aristida it is a very important pioneer genus, 

 being most characteristic of open or semi-open A'eld, or of the 

 initial stages of Eastern Grassveld. 



Eragrostis spinosa, the Vogelstruis or Ostrich grass, is an 

 extreme desert form, which covers vast areas of sandy soil in 

 the transitional region north and north-west of the Karroo 

 towards Namaqualand. E. cyperoides is a literal sand dune 

 species, which extends along the west coast from Damaraland 

 to the Cape. Three other literal or sub-litoral, sand dune or 

 hygrophilous species are endemic at the Cape, viz., E. 

 glahrata, E. elatior, and E. sarmentosa. E. cuTvula also 

 occurs at the Cape, but it is common all over. The genus is 

 represented by numerous species in the Western region in 

 addition to those mentioned above, e.g., E. denudata, E. 

 namaquensis, E. hereroensis, E. porosa, E. ramosa, E. 

 angusta, E. aiiriculata , E. hiflora, E. brizoides, E. hrizantha, 

 E. lappula var. divaricata, E. pilosa, E. leptocalymma, E. 

 longifolia, E. retinorrhoea, E. superha, E. trichophora, E. 

 viscosa, and even this long list, which shows how important 

 the genus is in open Yeld or semi-desert, does not include all 

 the species recorded. 



On the Grassveld of the Eastern side Eragrostis is of 

 supreme importance in all the initial stages of the succession. 

 Throughout the transitional belt between Karroo and grass- 

 land, the genus shares dominance with Aristida, Sporobolus, 



