130 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
Polypodium speluncae. Linn. Sp. 2, 1093. l 7 53 * 
Davallia polypodioides Don. Hk. Sp. 1, 181. 
Microlepia polypodioides Presl. Pappe and Rawson, 24. 
(? Davallia madagascariensis. Kunze, Bot. Zeit .) 
Widely distributed within the tropics and a little beyond, 
growing in swamps or moist woodlands. Often confused with 
Hypolepis spcirsisora. 
Natal. — Head of Natal Bay (McKen) ; Umpumulo (Buch.). 
Zululand. — Itshoa (Buchanan) ( = Eshowe, T. R. S.). 
Transvaal. — Magalisberg (Burke, Zeyher). 
Rhodesia. — Umtali (B. H. Holland). 
Genus 17. Schizoloma Gaudichaud. 
Small herbaceous ferns, having veins anastomosing, and 
linear marginal sori, covered by a membranous indusium 
attached a, little within the margin, so that it equals the 
edge of the frond, and opens outward like a slit along 
the margin, at the bottom of which, all along, is the re- 
ceptacle. Fourteen species occur, of which 5 . ensifolium is 
widely distributed, and another occurs in Madagascar and 
the Mascarenes. 
50. Schizoloma ensifolium (Sw.) J. Sm. 
Plate 39. Nat. size, b Section of pinna, magnified, c Part 
of sorus, much enlarged. 
Rhizome very short and thick, with lanceolate scales. 
Stipe three to nine inches long, round, glabrous. Frond 
six to fifteen inches long, glabrous, firmly herbaceous, simply 
pinnate, with one to six pairs of pinnae, and a long terminal 
one. Pinnae equal sided, three to six inches long, a quarter 
to half inch broad, linear or linear-lanceolate, tapering shortly 
to the point, and to the slightly stalked base, but otherwise 
of very equal width. Barren fronds, and the barren tips of 
fertile fronds, slightly toothed ; fertile parts more or less 
contracted. Sori continuous along most of the fertile pinnae. 
Veins uniting freely and forming numerous irregular areolae. 
This has the habit of Pteris cretica , but with the sori 
opening outward. 
