East African coastal forest botany - Biogeography and Ecology of the Rain Forests of Eastern Africa - page 70

Sc Saba comorensis
At Antioris toxicaria
Tm Tr i!episium modogascoriense
Es Er ythrophleum suaveolens
Mo Ma!acantha olnifolia
Rf Rinoreo ferrvqinea
01

Ror Rinoreo orboreo
Tf T1/iocora funifero

Cc Cnestis confertifloro

O!yro /atifalia
Mu Mi!leftio usoramensis
Oh Dialium holtzii
Bb Byrsocorpus boivinlonus

Dv Oiospyros verrucosa

At

c
>
" I

����lJ�::l,ljlr..:Y.J.._l_J__.�� 3m
-- 5 m -1

wide

Shrub Joyer (more open, shodey )

Shrub loyer (dense)
Rinorea ferruqinea ++ mainly (90%) Rinorea ferrugineo

Olyra latifolia +

Figure 5.5. Transect through Moist Antiais-Milicia forest in the Pugu Hills Forest
Reserve. =common, ++ =very common n understorey. +

in many areas where the other recorded associates
are, and historical factors may be responsible for
the local abundance over the coral rag north of
Mombasa.
Combretum-Sterculia forest is not well devel-
oped in the Tanzanian coastal forests south of the
Msangasi River (and north of the Rufiji). This
may be attributable to the relaive scarcity of
certain sedimentary rocks, like raised coral and
limestones, or to a less even distribuion of rain
throughout the year. Wherever undisturbed veg-
etaion does occur on coral, for example on
Mbudya Island (Hall et al., 1984) and on Mafia
(Greenway et al., 1988) it is generally scrub forest
or thicket.
Many species characterisic of the Combretum-
Sterculia forests in Kenya, including rees like
Lecaniodiscus rxinolius subsp. vaughanii, are
grouped in the Moist category of the Mariime-

Riverine element. Although these species are
inconspicuous in the Moist forest of the Pugu
Hills, they are abundant in Kimboza Forest, over
basement complex rocks to the west of the Pugu
Hills (Rodgers et al., 1983). The Dry Mariime-
Riverine element (e.g. Uvariodendron kirkii, Cordia
goetzei and the Combretum schumannii already
menioned) is often well represented in Moist for-
ests, but this category is increasingly important in
drier condiions, and is especially important on
drier parts of the coral rag (see Birch, 1963).
Moist coastal forests along rivers and in
swampy or rocky areas include many Mariime-
Riverine species typical of Moist limestone forests
(e.g. Tich ilia metica and Lecaniodisus frxini-
folius), alongside the more specialised riverine
species (e.g. Barintonia racemosa and Mascaren-
hasia arborescens).
Kimboza, and some of the other Moister