TAB. LXXXL 
Cheilanthes Kirkii, Hook, 
Caudice ascendente radiculoso crasso, stipitibus spithamseis et 
ultra ccespitosis rigidis atro-purpureo-ebeneis nitidis inferne 
subulato-squamosis, frondibus 4-pollicaribus coriaceis opacis 
cordiformibus profun dissime tripartitis 5-lobo-palmatis, di- 
visionibus primariis infimis semitri angular ibus intermedia 
triangulari omnibus bipinnatifidis laciniis ultimis oblongo- 
lanceolatis acutiusculis sinubus acutis, soris copiosis unifor- 
mibus, involucris subrotundis reniformibusve pallide fuscis 
venas furcatas terminantibus^ costis subtus aterrimis nitidis. 
Hab. Moramballa Mountain, Zambesi, elev. 3000-3500 feet. 
Dr, Kirky in Dr, Livingstone's Zambesi Expedition^ Dec, 
1858. 
This very interesting plant has so entirely the habit and 
general structure of the well known Pteris^ 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 
confiuence 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 KirMij Hook. ; natu- 
ral size. Fig, 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. 
