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THE GEOWTH-FOEMS OF NATAL PLANTS. 
By J. W. Bews. 
(Communicated by Professor H. H. W. Pearson.) 
(Eead August 18, 1915.) 
PAGK. 
Contents. 
Introduction ....... 605 
Megaphanerophytes ....... 609 
Mesophanerophytes ....... 609 
Microphanerophytes ....... 612 
Nanophanerophytes . . . . . . .618 
Chamaephytes ....... 622 
Hemicryptophytes ....... 624 
Geophytes ........ 626 
Helophytes ........ 628 
Hydrophytes ....... 629 
Therophytes ........ 629 
Stem Succulents ....... 631 
Epiphytes ........ 631 
Heterophytes . . . . . . .631 
General Summary and Conclusions ..... 633 
Literature Cited ....... 635 
INTEODUCTION. 
The investigation of the growth-forms of plants in relation to their 
environment is being recognised as a very important, if not the most 
important, branch of Plant Ecology. The study of the various plant 
communities, and their determination by the environmental factors, presents 
a more general aspect of the subject, and has hitherto perhaps, on the whole, 
received more attention from plant ecologists, though, of course, it includes 
a certain amount of the study of the separate growth-forms. It is, however, 
in the more detailed study of the " epharmony " of the species of plants that 
a deeper insight is gained into the cause and effect relationship existing 
between the environment and plant life. 
In its widest sense there is practically no branch of Botany that has not 
