DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 
83 
throughout South Africa, but I have not found it in Kaffraria, 
and in almost every collection it is more or less confused with 
B. australe L. 
West. — Table Mountain, Devil’s Mountain, Dutoitskloof, etc.; Knysna 
(T. H. Rex, 842); George, 900 ft (R. Schl. 2465). 
East.— Van Staaden’s River (Browning; Bolus, 1720); Grahamstown, 
abundant; Krakakamma. 
Kaff.— Omsamculu (Drege). 
Natal. — Palmiet to Drakensberg, common (Buch.); Buccleuch (W. 
Leighton). 
Rhodesia. — Mazoe, not plentiful, 5000 ft (F. Eyles, 342) ; Victoria 
Falls (Rogers, 5546). 
Var. Atherstoni (P. and R.). 
Plate 79. Nat. size. 
Similar in all respects to the type, except that the fertile 
frond is not contracted, but less cordate at the base than the 
barren, while the sori lie parallel with and close to the mid- 
rib, in a continuous straight line in the upper pinnae, but 
broken into short, oval, but parallel, distinct sori in the lower 
pinnae (as in Doodia). If this could be maintained as a 
distinct species, it would belong to sub-genus Eu-Blechnum 
rather than Lomaria. 
Pappe and Rawson founded their Blechnum Atherstoni on 
the Grahamstown plant, but do not mention the sori further 
than the generic character of Blechnum, and I have doubts 
as to whether this keeps distinct from the next form, which 
also grows in Fern Kloof, Grahamstown. Buchanan, who had 
frequent opportunity of seeing this in its native habitat, says: 
“ Regarded at Kew as only a Blechnoid variety of Lom. 
punctulata Kze, but retained by Kuhn as a distinct species; 
and we are inclined to agree with him. There is a Blechnoid 
form of L. punctulata , resembling the normal plant in size 
and texture, and S colop endrinm Krebsii is not much different 
in these respects ; whereas this plant is large and coarse, of 
quite coriaceous texture, and indistinct venation, with very 
tough stipes. It has often a creeping rhizome. The sori are 
usually quite Blechnoid in the upper part of the frond ; in the 
