197 



Fronds uniformly bipinnate, segments awn-tipped but not mucronate, 

 9. A. aculeatum. 



Fronds oblong, lowest pinnae not enlarged 10. A. Christian®. 

 Fronds deltoid, lowest pinnae largest. 11. A. capense 

 a. a. Veins united. — Sp. 13 — 17. 

 Veins copiously areolated. — 14-16. 

 Fronds usually 3 — 5 foliate. 12. A. trifoliatum. 



1. A. Plaschnickianum, Kunze.- Stipites densely tufted from a short 

 upright or oblique scaly and fibrous root stock, slender, pale coloured 

 fibrillose, 4-7 iD. 1. ; fronds erect, 4-5 in. 1. f-1 in. w., linear-oblong, 

 rounded and broadest at the base, from that tapering to the blunt re- 

 tuse viviparous apex ; subentire, or sinuate, or more or less lobed in the 

 lower part, sometimes with a pair of quite free rounded segments at the 

 base ; coriaceous ; upper surface dark-green and nearly or quite naked, 

 under pale and slightly fibrillose, especially along the midrib ; margins 

 faintly crenulate, especially toward the base ; veins in groups, repeatedly 

 forked, flabellate in the lobes ; sori medial on the veins, in one or more 

 rows, appearing scattered when plentiful ; involucres peltate, orbicular, 

 deciduous. — Hook. Sp. Fil. vol. 4. t. 211. 



Common in forests and on shady wayside banks, and rocks above 

 4,500 ft. altitude ; united by Grisebach with the next species, from which 

 it differs definitely however by its erect habit, coriaceous, entire or little 

 cut fronds, The bud at the end of the midrib is at first clothed with 

 scales, subsequently little circular petioled fronds are produced and 

 blackish fibrous roots. Occasionally the fronds are furcate at the apex, 

 each branch viviparous. While young the plants are fibrillose -scaly 

 throughout, on both sides of the fronds, the stipites very freely so. 

 Species 8 seems to connect this with the triangulum group. 



2. A. rhizophyllum, Swartz — Stipites caespitose from a small very 

 scaly fibrous rootstock, slender spreading, light coloured, freely fibrillose, 

 J-1J in. L ; fronds prostrate-spreading, chartaceous or sub-coriaceous, 

 4-6 in. 1. \— | ths. of an in. w., with a long tapering linear-acuminate 

 entire upper part, viviparous and radicant at the tip, and a pinnate 

 lower half or two-thirds in which the pinnae are quite free, sub-distant, 

 ovate-oblong rounded, usually at both ends, or the base sub-cuneate, 

 4-6 li L, 2-3 1. b. ; faintly crenulate or even-margined ; rachis very 

 slender light coloured, channelled, slightly fibrillose ; under surface 

 paler than the upper and slightly scaly ; veins forked, pinnate in the 

 segments ; sori in 1-2 rows, usually confined to the upper entire part, 

 but sometimes also appearing on the pinnae ; involucres peltate, orbicular, 

 at length dropping away. — Hook, and Grev. Icon. Fil t. 59. 



In well drained stony woods, on rocks and boulders, up to 1,000 ft., 

 altitude or more ; St. Mary, at the top of the wooded hill opposite 

 Castleton Gardens, other eastern parishes. No doubt this is closely 

 allied to the preceding, having similar vestiture, yet it is very distinct. 

 The fronds are quite prostrate, and spread all round on the surface 

 upon which the plants are growing. The entire upper part of each one 

 is very much attenuated, and not more than J-ll. w., at the proliferous 

 tip. The buds are similar in character to those of the preceding but 

 smaller, and the plant is altogether weaker than that species. 



3. A. glandulosum, Hook. & Grev. — Rootstock short, erect, fibrous 

 and very densely clothed with light coloured, bright, delicate scales ; 



