128 



E. sorghum, Arundiiiella ecldonii, Phalaris ariindinacea, 

 Setaria sulcata, S. lindenhergiana, S. nigrirostis, S. flahel- 

 lata, S. aiirea, Pennisetum unisetum, and occasionally other 

 of the Viei Pennisetums, Panicum crus-pavonis and soimetimes 

 other Panicums Sporobohts rehmanni, most of wMch also 

 belong to the hydrosere. 



In the transition to Forest the grasses soon begin to give 

 way to shrubs or other flowering plants. The Bracken fern, 

 too (Pteris aquilmu) sometimes covers large areas to the 

 exclusion of everything else. Composites like Athanasia 

 acerosa, Artemesia afra, Berkheya platyptera often form quite 

 large consocies. At the higher altitudes, Myrsine africana 

 is a common Forest pioneer. Leucosidea sericea gradually 

 establishes definite Leucosidea or Oudehout Scrub, which in 

 turn progresses towards Yellow-wood (Podocarpus) forest. 

 Buddleia salviaefolia is a very frequent precursor of Scrub 

 and Forest also, all over the midlands and mountain regions 

 of Natal. At Nottingham Eoad, Natal, on the farm of Mr. 

 James King, there is an area of over 60 acres which has been 

 protected from grass fires by fire-breaks for over thirty-five 

 years. Through the kindness of Mr. King, I have been able 

 to make a careful study of it. The various stages of the suc- 

 cession are clearly shown. 1st, Tambookie grasses the species 

 named above. 2nd, Athanasia. 3rd, Buddleia salviaefolia, 

 Leucosidea sericea, Erica cooperi, species of Rhus and Lasio- 

 siphon. 4th, young Yellow-wood Bush. There is no Anthis- 

 tiria Teld left, though I am assured by Mr. King that the 

 inSinde used to be dominant over the whole area. 



Farmers whose farms lie in the Forest climatic areas will 

 usually find that, if they refrain from burning the grasses of 

 their Veld, the succession progresses in the same direction. 

 The grasses grow taller and coarser, and gradually the finer 

 grasses are ousted. Burning then becomes necessary to keep 

 back the succession. It may be urged that such farmers would 

 probably find the planting of timber a better financial pro- 

 position than the pasturing of cattle, but if they must have 

 pasturage, then they must continue to burn the grasses. 

 Forest soils are usually not rich, and the grasses do not as a 

 rule give a good pasturage at any stage of the succession. 



There are other transitions from grassland to scrub, which 

 follow different lines. In the Low Veld, and in all the 

 various. types of Bush Veld, etc., tlie succession is that given 

 in detail in one of my former" papers. Isolated, trees, iisually 



