8o 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
In the Government Herbarium are specimens with fronds 
three inches long, one inch wide, on top of leafless stalks 
six inches long; more divided than the ordinary form, and 
with very large involucres. Kunze mentions a form which he 
calls var. B . pedunculatum , having fertile segments attenuate 
to the point, and the involucre smaller and oval. All these 
forms appear to be dependent on conditions of growth, and 
can hardly rank as varieties. 
H. tunbridgense. Smith in Sowerby, Engl. Bot. t. 162, 1794; Thunb. 
Flora Cap. 73 7 ; Schl. Ad. 55 ; Schk. Fil. 134, tab. 135 d ; Kunze, 
Linnaea , 10, 554 ; Pappe and Rawson, 44; Wood’s Natal Ferns , 5; 
Hk. and Bkr, Syn. Fil. 67 ; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 42 ; Sim, Ferns of 
S. Africa , 1 st ed., 50. C. Chr . Index Filicum, 369. 
H. Dregeanum. Presl. 1843. 
Leptocionium. V. d. Bosch. 
Found in most parts of the world, from the tropics to 
Norway. In South Africa widely distributed, and not un- 
common in the forest, but often overlooked, or passed as 
Trichomanes pyxidiferum , which eastward is the more common 
plant, though in the west H. tunbridgense takes its place. 
West. — Table Mountain, Hottentots’ Holland, etc. (P. and R.), 
Kirstenbosch, 1500 feet (Bolus), Tulbagh (Ecklon), Knysna, Ko- 
ratra (Drege). 
East. — Bedford (Holland). 
Kaff. — Perie Mountain, and Frankfort Hill, toward the top. 
Orange Free State. — Without locality (T. Cooper, 1045. 1862). 
Natal. — Kranzkloof, Maritzburg, Noodsberg, Karkloof (McKen); Um- 
pumulo (Buch.); Midland and upper districts, plentiful (Wood). 
H. WlLSONl Hk. differs from H. tunbridgense in having 
pinnules on the upper side only of the pinnae, and in the 
involucre being entire. The two generally grow in company, 
and intermediate forms occur connecting them. In Europe 
they are regarded as distinct varieties, but I have seen nothing 
here answering to H. Wilsoni ; nor is it included by Pappe 
and Rawson, Fady Barkly, or McKen, though Kuhn includes it 
from the Cape and Natal under the name of H . peltatum Desv.; 
and Buchanan finds it mixed with H. tunbridgense in Natal, 
while the South African H. Meyeri Presl. is founded on it. 
Our illustrations are both of typical H. titnbridgense. 
