SOUTHERN AFRICA. 189 
diftinguifhed place among the tall trees of the kloofs, and the 
thick fhrubbery on the fides of the fwells. This plant is the 
African lignum vitas, the guajacim Afrum of Linnseus, and the 
fchotia fpeclofa of the Hortus Kewevfis. The wood, however, 
is not fufficiently hard to be converted to the fame purpofes as 
lignum vitas, nor is the tree large enough to make it of any 
particular ufe. The feeds of this leguminous plant are eaten by 
the Hottentots, and fometimes alfo are ufed by the colonifts. 
Two plants of the palm tribe were frequently met with ; one, 
the zamia cycadis^ or KafFer's bread-tree, growing on the plains ; 
and the other, alfo a fpecies of the fame genus, fkirting the 
fprings and rivulets : the fruit of the latter was called wild cof- 
fee, and fubftituted by the peafantry for this berry. The JirC" 
lit%ia regina alfoj now in full and beautiful bloom, grew every 
where in wide-fpreading patches in the vicinity of the Great 
Fifh river, but not one of the new fpecies, difcovered about 
twenty miles to the northward of Zwart Kop's river, could be 
found among them. The cerulean blue neftarium of the re- 
ginse feemed to be uniformly faded, and it loft its color by a 
fliort expofure to the weather, which did not appear to be the 
cafe with that of violet blue of the teretifolia. The feed of the 
reginae is eaten both by the Kaffers and Hottentots. A great 
variety of bulbous rooted plants were now fpringing out of the 
ground j and feveral fpecies of thofe elegant families the gladio- 
lus, ixiay moraa, and the ir/j-, were in full bloom. That fm- 
gular plant the tumus elephantiopus, fo called from a protube- 
rance thrown from the root refembling the foot of an elephant, 
was met with only in this part of the country. Several fpecies 
of xeranthemum and gnaphalium decorated the gralTy plains 
with. 
