DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 
ii 7 
paleaceous with large brown scales. Fronds erect, rather rigid, 
two to three feet long, six to eight inches wide, somewhat 
reduced below, two-pinnate, the pinnules close and sharply 
toothed but seldom much cut, the pinnae of equal width for 
two-thirds their length. The difference between this and P. 
aculeatum has been explained under that species. 
Polystichum pungens (Klf.). Pr. Tent. 83, 1836; C. Chr. Index , 586. 
Asftidium pungens Kaulf. Baker, Syn. Fit. 252. 
Aspidium aculeatum. Sim, Kaff. Ferns , 46 (in part). 
Aspidium aculeatum Sw ., var. pungens. Sim, Ferns of S. Apr ., 1st ed., 
166 (in part). 
Christensen gives the distribution of P. pungens as South 
Africa and Reunion. 
West. 
East. 
Kaffraria. 
Natal. 
Orange Free State. — Near Van Reenen (Prof. Bews). 
Transvaal. — Woodbush (T. J. Jenkins). 
Rhodesia. — Chirinda, 4000 ft (Swynnerton) ; Gwaai River (J. Sim) 
Abundant everywhere on high rocky slopes, mostly over 
4000 ft, and found up to 9550 ft by Galpin at Ben 
McDhui, Wittebergen, Barkly East. 
38. Polystichum luctuosum Moore. 
Plate 28. Nat. size. 
Crown procumbent or sub-erect, very scaly, with large, 
ovate, pointed, black scales. Frond coriaceous, two-pinnate 
or three-pinnatifid, two to three feet long, six to ten inches 
broad at the base, and with a stout stipe nine to fifteen 
inches long, which is abundantly paleaceous below, and more 
or less clothed upward, as are also the rachis and frond, with 
fibrillose black scales or hairs. The fronds, and also the 
pinnae, taper gradually and regularly from a broad base to 
the rather attenuated tip. Pinnae sub-opposite, one to one 
and a half inches broad at the base, lowest pinnule on the 
upper side larger than the others, parallel with the rachis, and 
often deeply pinnatifid or pinnate; other pinnules lobed or 
sharp toothed, and with a bristle-point directed upward. Sori 
small, very abundant. 
