227 
The Flora of the Cape Peninsula. 
all the drier slopes, while purple flowered Muraltias (Fig. 49) 
(Polygalaceae) and the singular dioecious shrub Cliffortia (Fig. 50) 
(Rosaceae) were often found in more sheltered situations, as for 
instance in the groves of Silver-trees. 
Most noticeable, because growing somewhat taller and more 
tree-like are the Proteaceae. Of these only the Silver-tree grows 
to a considerable height, the others are but dwarf-trees, with a 
short stem and bearing leaves of hard leathery texture, which often 
assume a vertical position. The Silver-tree ( Leucadendron argot- 
teum) has a more delicate foliage, the leaves being protected 
with a covering of fine silken hairs, and this species is more limited 
in its distribution than are some of the other species of Leuca¬ 
dendron. It is also of more sociable habit, or possibly its more 
rapid growth enables it to outgrow the competition of the sur¬ 
rounding shrubs, and to form the definite groves which are found 
on the slopes of Lion’s Head and of Table Mountain. The other 
species of Leucadendron and the numerous forms of Protea (the 
Sugar-bush) are slower growers and occur generally singly or in 
small groups among the other plants (PI. 6, Fig. 2). It was most 
interesting to see the long-tailed Sugar-birds ( Promerops ) flitting 
about among these Sugar-bushes, from the large and often beautifully 
coloured inflorescnces of which they suck the nectar. The sight of 
these birds reminded one of the fact that flowers which are pollinated 
by birds are a characteristic feature of the flora of South Africa. 
Not only are the Sugar-bushes visited by various sugar-birds and 
sun-birds belonging to the genera Promerops and Nectarinia, but 
several species of Erica, with long and curved corolla tubes, and 
many Aloes, are ornithophilous according to the observations of 
Scott-Elliot 1 and Marloth. 3 
Between the ericoid shrubs and Proteaceous dwarf-trees are 
found numerous Restionaceae, which so largely take the place 
of the grasses in South-West Africa, and which are readily recog¬ 
nisable by the large brown bracts by which their unisexual 
inflorescences are protected (PI. 6, Fig. 1). Their vegetative 
organs as shewn by Pfitzer 3 are peculiarly well protected by sunk 
stomata, etc., against summer droughts. Like the Proteaceae the 
family of Restionaceae is largely restricted to the South-Western 
1 Scott-Elliott. Ornithophilous Flowers in South Africa. Annals 
of Bot., Vol. IV., 1890. 
2 Marloth, R. Die Ornithophilie in der Flora Slid Africas. 
Ber. d. deutsch bot. Ges. 1901. 
Pfitzer. Pringsheim’s Jahrbiicher f. w. Bot., Vol. VII. 
3 
