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no rain. A good example of this was seen in the grounds of 

 the Natal University College last year, where a hockey field 

 had been cleared of turf. The advantage of the early flower- 

 ing lies in the plant being able to carry out the more impor- 

 tant work of the year, before the taller growing aestival and 

 autumnal aspects develop. 



As for the species composing the vernal aspect societies, 

 they are so numerous and- varied in the different parts, that 

 only a few of the commonest examples can be mentioned. 



The Cojnpositae are best represented. Senecio latifoliiis, 

 a rather variable plant, is very aibundant. S. alhanensis , 

 S. hwpl^^ir aides, S. coronatus, S. erubescens, S. barbellatus, 

 S. speciosus (iBohlolo), and dozens of others occur in different 

 parts. Over TO species of, Senecio are found in Natal alone. 

 Helichrysum is another large genus. H. latifoliwm, H. adeno- 

 carpum, H. squarrosum, H. aureonitens, H. foetidum, H. 

 fulgidmn are all common, but altogether there are nearly 80 

 species, though a few of them are not Veld plants. The fol- 

 lowing are other common composites : Gerbera kraussii 

 (uHlambiloshane), G. aurnntiaca, Vernonia hirsida, V. 

 Icraussii, V. woodii (uHlonyane), Aster asper (uDlutshana), 

 A. erigeroides (isiThlelo), Nidorella auriculata, Stoebe 

 cinerea, Dicoma argyrophylla.. Cineraria atriplicifolia, Calli- 

 lepis laureola (imPila), Ethulia conyzoides (umSokosoko), but 

 the list might be extended^to include two or three hundred. 



The Leguminoseae are also very well represented, and 

 interest attaches to them, since some of them are known to 

 cause stock diseases. Lotononis corymbosa, L. eriantha, 

 L. foliosa, L. prostrata, Melolobiuw alpinum, 31 . obcordatwm, 

 Crotalaria bitrkeana, C. capensis, C. glohifera, C. lanceolata, 

 C. natalitia, Argyrolobium marginaUim (inTondo), A. stipu- 

 laceum, A. unifloruin, A. Ion gi folium, A. andreiosianum, A. 

 rupestre, A. sutherlandi, Medicago denticulata, Indigofera 

 dregeana, I. eriocarpa, I. dimidiata, I. fastigiata, I. hedy- 

 antha, I. hilaris, I. longipes, I. woodii, I. zeyheri, Eriosema 

 salignum, E. Irraussianum, E. cajanoides, E. longipes, 

 Tephrosia capensis, T. longipes, T. diffusa, T. discolor, T. 

 macropoda (iLozane), Lessertia biflora, Rhynchasia adenodes, 

 R. totta, Vigna vexillata, V. triloba are a few of the com- 

 monest species, and although the list seems a fairly long one 

 it represents only a small proportion of the total. 



