132 



Rumex acetosella is often a very troublesome weed and 

 R. ohtusifolia also occurs. The inkberries (or uMahedeni), 

 Phytolacca stricta and P. octandra are very abundant often, 

 in waste land. The Mexican poppy Argeinone mexicana 

 spreads rapidly along roadsides and over rubbish heaps, etc. 

 RichaTdsonia pilosa is a common road side species. 



Other ruderal species may be listed together as follows : — 

 Sisymbrium capense, S. officinale, Lepidium capense, Sinapis 

 retrorsa, Fumaria officinalis, Stellaria media, Spergula 

 arvensis, Silene gallica, Portvlaca oleracea, Oxalis corniculata, 

 Oenothera biennis, Hydrocotyle asiatica, Spermacoce natal- 

 ensis, Asclepias fruticosa, Wahlenbergia undulata, Anagallis 

 arvensis, Cynoglossum enerve, Echium violaceum. Convol- 

 vulus arvensis, Ceratotheca triloba (uDonquabathwa), Barleria 

 obtusa, Hebenstreitia integrifolia , Lantana salvifoLia, Lippia_ 

 asperifolia (umSuzwane), Verbena tenera, Plantago major, 

 Mirabilis jalapa, Amarantus paniculatus, A. spinosus, A. 

 thunbergii, Alternantliera achyrantha, Cyathula cylindrica, 

 C. globulifera, Chenopodinm ambrosioides, C. botrys, C. 

 murale, Celosia trigyna. Polygonum aviculare, P. serrulatwm, 

 P. convolcalus, P. fagapyrum. Euphorbia sanguinea, E. 

 peplus, E. hypericifolia, Acalypha eckloni, Ricinus com- 

 munis (Castor oil or umHlakuva), Cannabis sativa, Urtica 

 sirens, Cyperus esciilentus, species of Fimbristylis. 



Mixed with the weeds, there are a number of ruderal 

 grasses. Some of them are cultivated either as fodder plants 

 or by the natives or whites for the sake of their grain, e.g., 

 Pa.spaliiin dilatatum, Eleusine indica (uMunyankomo), E. 

 corocana (uPoko), Pennisetum typhoideum (Nyaloti), Andro- 

 pogon sorghum, var. usorum, etc. (Amabele or Kafir Corn), 

 Panicum miliare, Eragrosti<i abyssinica (Teff grass), Avena 

 sativa (Oafs) . 



Both Dactyloctenium aegyptiacum and Stenotaphrum 

 glabrum, as well as the Cynodons, are used for making lawns 

 and often occur as ruderals. 



Some of the other ruderal species are exotics, e.g., Loliwn 

 temulentum, L. multiflorum, Holcus lanatus, Briza minor, 

 B. mn.rima, Poa annua, P. trivialis, Bromus maximus, B. 

 iinioloides, P h alar is minor , Arena fatua, A. barbata, Panicum- 

 capillare . 



Among the indigenous grasses the Paniceae are best 

 represented. Digitaria ternata is very common in cultivated 



