TAB. LXXXI. 



Cheilanthes Kirkii, Hook. 



Caudice ascendente radiculoso crasso, stipitibus spithamasis et 

 ultra csespitosis rigidis atro-purpureo-ebeneis nitidis inferne 

 subulato-squamosis, frondibus 4-pollicaribus coriaceis opacis 

 cordiformibus profundissime tripartitis 5-lobo-palmatis, di- 

 visionibus primariis infimis semitriangularibus intermedia 

 triangulari omnibus bipinnatifidis laciniis ultimis oblongo- 

 lanceolatis acutiusculis sinubus acutis, soris copiosis unifor- 

 mibus, involucris subrotundis reniformibusve pallide fuscis 

 venas furcatas terminantibusj costis subtus aterrimis nitidis. 



Hab. Moramballa Mountain, Zambesi, elev. 3000-3500 feet. 

 Dr. Kirk, in Dr. Livingstone's Zambesi Expedition, Dec. 

 1858. 



This very interesting plant has so entirely the habit and 

 general structure of the well known Pterin, or Pellea as it is 

 now by many called, geraniifolia, (see first Cent, of Ferns, 

 Tab. 15), that, without fructification, I cannot point a single 

 character by which the one can be distinguished from the 

 other ; but the sori of our present plant, are everywhere, and 

 upon all our specimens, so entirely these of Cheilanthes, that, so 

 long as that genus retains a place in our system, this plant 

 must be referred to it. It is true we have had occasion to 

 remark of several species of Cheilanthes, such a degree of 

 confluence in the sori as to render it doubtful whether they 

 should belong to one genus or the other, but here we have in 

 the sori of Pellea geraniifolia and of Cheilanthes Kirkii the 

 extremes of the two kinds of fructification, uniformly distinct 

 in the one, and quite continuous in the other. 



Tab. LXXXI. Plant of Cheilanthes Kirkii, Hook. ; natu- 

 ral size. Pig. 1. Fertile segment of a frond ; magnified; f. 

 2. Portion of a segment with sori, and showing the venation ; 

 more magnified. 



Cent. 2. T. 81, 



