9 6 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
This is N. elatum Baker, Syn. Fil. 502, but that was 
evidently a badly chosen name, as N. elatum Desv. is our 
D. lanuginosa , a different plant. Mettenius and Bojer have 
each an Asp. elatum , and Baker himself had a previous Ne- 
phrodium ( Sagenia ) elatum Bkr (Syn. Fil. 298), also quite a 
distinct plant However Mr Baker writes that his N. elatum 
(Syn. Fil. 502) proves to be N. mauritianum Fee, Mauritius 
and Natal; so often confused with N. molle and N. Bergianum 
that its separate distribution is still doubtful, for though re- 
presented in the various herbaria, it is often by specimens 
without localities. 
Kafif. — Pirie Forest, Kologha, Toise River, East London (T. R. Sim) ; 
Bazija, Transkei (Rev. R. Baur). 
Natal. — Head of Bay of Natal (Buchanan); Buccleuch (W. Leighton); 
Zwaartkop, Sweetwaters, Bulwer, Nkandhla, Ngomi, Ngoya (T. R. 
Sim). 
Transvaal. — Zoutpansberg (W. Nelson, 358). 
Rhodesia. — Lo Magundi (J. F. Darling) ; Mazoe (Holland) ; Victoria 
Falls (Rev. Rogers, 5053). 
20. DRYOPTERIS MOLLIS (Jacq.) Hieron. 
Plate 11. Nat. size, b Fertile pinnules. 
Rhizome procumbent, three to six inches long, stout, and 
with abundant fronds. Fronds one and a half to three feet 
long, five to seven inches broad, bi-pinnatifid, firmly herba- 
ceous and brittle, deep green, densely villose, or even hairy 
all over, including the rachis and stipe. Pinnae cut only about 
halfway down from the margin to the mid-rib into rounded, 
close or overlapping lobes, sometimes obliquely pointed; lower 
pinnule on upper side often larger, and with forked veinlets. 
Lower pinnae smaller than the others, often more distant and 
deflexed. Veins about six pairs in a pinnule, of which two to 
four pairs unite with those of the next pinnule. Sori medial, 
rather large, and with a black indusium which soon disappears. 
Kuhn mentions var. violascens (Link.) Mett. which has a 
purplish rachis as found in Natal by Gueinzius, and Eyles 
includes it as found at Victoria Falls by Engler. 
