Africa, for as Stapf points out, in America it extends from 

 the Nortli to Patagonia. In South Africa it is distributed 

 over the South Western and Karroo regions. H. murinum 

 is an introduced weed of Mediterranean origin. 



Imperata arundinacea. There are two varieties besides 

 the type, tJiunhergii with broader leaves (2-4 lin), and 

 koenigii with bearded nodes, and more flaccid leaves, but 

 these varieties, and the type pass into one another. Imperata 

 grows in Vleis, or moist sand, and is widely distributed over 

 the whole of South Africa. It often forms consocies in the 

 hydrosere, especially on the coast belt of Natal. 



Ischaenium. I. fasciculatum var. radicans occurs in 

 woods and vleis on the Natal Coast belt. /. franhsae is a rare 

 mountain species from Tabamhlope, Natal (altitude 6,000- 

 8,000 feet) and I. glaucostachymn is a rare Transvaal species. 



Koeleria cristala. An extremely variable species which 

 is widely distributed and fairly common. Ecologically it is 

 most important in Mountain Tussock Veld. It varies greatly 

 in its vegetative characters, esj)ecially in the hairiness of its 

 leaves, which are narrow linear, flat, or convolute and flexuous, 

 or rigid. In cross section it shows irregular ridges, with well 

 developed motor cells in the furrows. There is little scleren- 

 cliyma, and the species is grazed by cattle. 



Lagui'us ovaliis. An annual recorded only for the Cape 

 and the Amatolas It is of Mediterranean origin. 



^s-' 



Laniai'ckia aurea is another small annual, introduced at 

 the Cape, of Mediterranean origin. 



Lasiochloa. L. longifolia with its two varieties, hispida 

 and pallens, is common in Namaqualand, and the South 

 Western region generally, extending as far east as Grahams- 

 town, and it has been collected on the Drakensberg by Galpin. 

 L. ciliaris is also common in the South M'^est and L. ohtusifolia 

 is a rarer species from Uitenhage. The species are often 

 ruderal along roadsides and pathways. 



Fig. 16 is a transverse section of the left-hand side fif a 

 leaf of Lasiochloa longifolia. The ridges are unequal as well 

 as the bundles, the larger bundles being below the stronger 

 ridges, and strongly girdered. The smaller bundles are not 

 girdered. There are no very distinct motor cells. There is a 

 thick -cuticle on both sides. 

 6 



