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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [Vol. 8, No. 3 



Polystichum ammifolium (Poir.) C. Chr. Cat. PI. Madag. Pterid. 31. 1932. 



North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau, common in montane forest, 50-90 cm. 

 high, leaves few, arched, 2250 m., Aug. 16, 1946, 17255. Mlanje District: Mlanje 

 Mountain; Luchenya Plateau, common in openings in forest, more or less 1.5 m. 

 high, clumps of several arched leaves from a stout erect stock, 1820 m., July 1, 

 1946, 16566; ibid., primary forest undergrowth, 80-100 cm. high, several leaves 

 from a short erect rhizome, 1890 m., July 13, 1946, 16820; ibid., one example in 

 forest undergrowth, 1 m. high, rhizome erect, 1890 m., July 7, 1946, 16708*. The 

 teeth in the ultimate divisions of the frond of this species are seldom aristate. 

 The species seems to belong to a complex of forms centred around the European 

 P. setiferum (Forsk.) Woynar. Rhodesia, South Africa, Mascarenes. 



Tectaria gemmifera (Fee) Alston, Jour. Bot. 77: 288. 1939. 



T. coadunata (Wall.) Copel. var. gemmifera (Fee) C. Chr. Dansk Bot. Ark. 7: 67. 1932. 



Kota-kota District: Nchisi Mountain, one plant on bank of stream in rain-forest, 

 1.5 m. high, leaves few, erect from a horizontal rhizome, 1500 m., July 28, 1946, 

 17003; ibid., plentiful on rain-forest floor, 60-100 cm. high, 1500 m., July 28, 

 1946, 17004* Cholo District: Cholo Mountain, seldom fertile, plentiful in rain- 

 forest undergrowth, 75-150 cm. high, 1200 m., Sept. 23, 1946, 17751. Tropical 

 Africa, South Africa, Mascarenes. 



BLECHNACEAE 



Blechnum attenuatum (Sw.) Mett. Fil. Hort. Bot. Lips. 64. 1856. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, up to 1 m. high, leaves stiff, many, from an 

 erect thick stock up to 20 cm. long, pinnae strongly recurved, 1450 m., June 3, 

 1946, 16172. Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; Luchenya Plateau, common epi- 

 phyte on trunks of tree ferns in forest 60-100 cm. high, fertile leaves shorter 

 than the sterile, 1880 m., July 8, 1946, 16743. Tropical and South Africa and 

 Mascarenes. There are forms in South America and Polynesia which may even- 

 tually prove to be distinct. 



Blechnum tabulare (Thunb.) Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 94. 1868. 



North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau, abundant in open marshes (now mostly 

 frost-bitten and brown), 1-1.5 m. high, leaves numerous, arched from a large up- 

 right stem to 60 cm. tall, 15-20 cm. diam., stem covered with brown rootlets, 

 fertile leaves somewhat longer than the sterile, 2340 m., Aug. 13, 1946, 17210. 

 Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; Luchenya Plateau, common in moist situations 

 on open grass slopes, more or less 40-80 cm. high, numerous stiff leaves from the 

 apex of « thick prostrate stem about 25-35 cm. long by 10-15 cm. diam., sterile 

 leaves about two-thirds the length of the fertile, 2140 m., June 27, 1946, 16480. 

 Tropical and South Africa and Mascarenes. The temperate south American form of 

 the species has been known as B. magellanicum (Desv.) Mett. 



ASPLENIACEAE 



Asplenium rutaefolium (Berg.) Kunze, Linnaea 10: 521. 1836. 

 Lonchitis bipinnata Forsk. Flor. Aegypt.-Arab. 184. 1775. 



Asplenium bipinnatum (Forsk.) C. Chr. ex Hieron. in Mildbr. Wiss. Ergebn. Deutsch. 

 Zentr.-Afr.-Exp. 1907-1908 2: 11. 1910. 



Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; Luchenya, epiphytic on trunks of forest 

 trees, 30-50 cm. high, leaves numerous, arched, fleshy, locally common, 1890 m., 

 July 2, 1946, 16605. Extends from the type locality in the Yemen through east to 

 South Africa; found also in Madagascar. Resembles A. thunbergii Kunze to some 

 extent but the fronds are fleshy and are not proliferous. 



