224 
F. E. Weiss. 
Furthermore taking into consideration the physical differences 
of the soil, the dry sandy zone along Table Hay and False Bay, the 
marshy areas on the Cape Flats, the steep mountain slopes and 
precipitous cliffs of Table Mountain, and lastly its rain-drenched 
tableland, 3000 ft. above the sea, we have apparently all the 
conditions for a very varied vegetation. And yet we do not find 
such distinct zones of vegetation as we might be led to expect 
from the physical conformation of the Peninsula, nor such plant- 
formations as meadow, wood, and moorland into which our European 
vegetation would under similar conditions differentiate itself. The 
native vegetation of the Cape Peninsula and indeed of the South- 
Western region is really very uniform in character, consisting in 
the main of shrubby plants with small and often heath-like leaves of 
a bluish-green hue. This extensive “bush” formation is one of the 
most marked characteristics of the Cape flora. There are no natural 
forests or even woods, only here and there on the slopes of Table 
Mountain groves of Silver Trees (Leucadendron argenteuvi), while 
other tree-like plants are dwarfed in stature and confined to the 
steep ravines of the Eastern side of Table Mountain. Equally 
noticeable is the absence of natural meadowland, grasses where 
they occur do not form a continuous covering, but grow in detached 
clumps. The scarcity of tall trees and the general absence of 
luxuriant growth is probably attributable to the coincidence of the 
vegetative period with the winter season, and this is borne out by 
the striking contrast of the vegetation of the South-Western region 
with that of the East coast, in which the rain falls mainly during 
the summer months. Similarly we must correlate the smallness of 
the leaves of the shrubby vegetation and their frequently “ ericoid ” 
structure with the very dry nature of the summer months, which 
necessitates considerable protection against excessive transpiration. 
But though at first sight and at a distance this dominance of hush- 
formation gives an aspect of sameness to the vegetation of the 
Cape Peninsula, yet when examined in detail all such uniformity 
disappears owing to the wonderful richness in species which 
characterises the Cape flora. For not only do we find in the hush 
an exceedingly large number of species of Erica and of other 
plants which are commonly of shrubby growth in Europe, but such 
large natural orders as the Compositae and Polygalaceae, of which 
we in England only possess herbaceous representatives, are here 
found in bush form and in innumerable species. The active 
competition, too, of so great a variety of plants of shrubby habit and 
