THE VEGETATION OF THE SOUTHERN LANGEBERG, CAPE PROVINCE .2. THE PLANT-COMMUNITIES OF THE MARLOTH NATURE-RESERVE

The Marloth Nature Reserve, encompassing the mountain catchments of th e southern Langeberg immediately above Swellendam, Cape Province, Sout h Africa, is described. The vegetation of the reserve was sampled alon g a transect representing the variation in plant communities over the range from the lower south to the lower north slopes. Eighty-three sam ple sites were subjectively located in mature stands of fynbos vegetat ion (> 10 years old). The releve data were initially classified using TWINSPAN and then refined by Braun-Blanquet (BB) phytosociological pro cedures. The Afromontane Forest patches which occur mainly on the lowe r south slopes were not sampled but are briefly discussed. The fynbos plant communities are described, based on tables, and a hierarchical c lassification is proposed.