South African Ferns and their Distribution. 293 



each side 1 to 8 lateral pinnae. Pinnae lanceolate, 

 4-9 inches long, 1-2 inches wide ; edges entire ; veins 

 anastomosing copiously. 

 Zambesiland (Synopsis Filicum). 



167. Acrostichum Heudelotii, Hk. 



Fronds subcoriaceous, pinnate ; the pinnae of the fertile frond 

 narrower than those of the barren. Fronds 1-2 feet 

 long, 6-9 inches wide ; pinnae numerous, sessile, entire, 

 f — | inch wide ; veins anastomosing, indistinct. 



Zambesiland : — Manganja (Kirk). 



168. Acrostichum aureum, Linn. 



East and Natal (F. of S. A.). 



Transvaal : — Near Magalisberg (Sanderson). 



Zambesia (Kirk). 



Genus XXX. /3. Platyccrium, Desv. Plant epiphytal, the 

 barren fronds few, flat and thalloid, and adpressed to 

 what the plant grows on, rounded or cordate at the base, 

 the fertile fronds rising from the sinus, and fresh plants 

 starting from roots at the margin of the mature barren 

 frond. . Fertile fronds simple or dichotomously branched, 

 bearing the sori in patches on the back of the bifurca- 

 tions. Veins anastomosing more or less in the fertile 

 frond, and freely in the barren frond. South-east Asia 

 and Australia, Tropical Africa and South America. 



169. Platycerium alcicorne, Desv. 



Barren fronds few, 3-9 inches wide, rounded, conspicuously 

 veined, those from overlapping plants forming a large 

 thalloid mass 1-3 feet in diameter. Fertile fronds 

 several together, ascending, 2 feet long, up to 3 times 

 dichotomously branched, leathery, glabrous above, white 

 pubescent below. Ultimate segments j— 1 inch wide, 

 4-8 inches long, rounded at the point. Sori in brown 

 woolly masses on the lower surfaces of the ultimate 

 segments, or meeting and extending downward where 

 they unite. On immature plants less-divided or simple 

 fertile fronds without sori occur. P. alcicorne is re- 

 corded from Australia, Mascarenes, Seychelles, and 

 South America. 



Ehodesia: — Near Massi-Kessi (Holland). Umtali (Mrs. 

 Bennett). Miss Schultz brought plants from Umtali 

 which are now growing in the Natal Botanic Garden, 

 Durban, as also are several allied forms from Madagascar. 



