DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 187 
East. — Van Staaden’s River (Browning); Albany, Bedford, etc.; Uiten- 
hage (Mrs T. V. Patterson, 952). 
Kaff. — Frequent by streams in bush or above it, not under 3000 feet 
(T. R. Sim). 
Natal. — Many places in the midlands (T. R. Sim); Buccleuch (W. 
Leighton). 
Rhodesia. — Common in Chirinda Forest, 3700 — 4000 ft (Swyn. 832). 
89. Blechnum tabulare (Thbg) Kuhn. 
Plate 83. a Plant, much reduced, b Barren frond, reduced, c Scale 
from crown, d Fertile frond, reduced, e Fertile pinna, nat. size. 
Stem stout, tree-like, erect, two to three feet long, three 
to nine inches diameter, densely clothed with linear, dark 
brown scales, one to two inches long, half-line broad. Fronds 
simply pinnate, thick and coriaceous, abundant, the barren 
fronds more or less spreading; the fertile produced annually 
in the centre and more upright in habit. Barren fronds one 
to three feet long, six to nine inches broad at the middle, 
ovate-lanceolate, and generally with shorter pinnae toward 
the base; glabrous on the upper surface except when young, 
but with scattered, brown, downy shag on the under surface 
and rachis, though this sometimes disappears with age. Pinnae 
lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, entire, narrowed to the base, 
or stalked, or the upper more or less adnate. Fertile fronds 
rather longer, with thick linear pinnae, fertile throughout, or 
often partly barren in the lower pinnae. Involucre slightly 
within the margin, white, membranaceous, much cut, but at 
first entire. Rachis channelled. Stipe six to twelve inches 
long, very paleaceous at the base. This fine fern is easily 
distinguished by its stout stem and long scales. 
L. Dalgairnsiae P. and R. is this, with the upper pinnae 
more confluent. It is maintained by Christensen, but is not 
distinct. 
L. cycadoides P. and R. has the lower pinnae auricled, and 
though maintained as a species by Kuhn and Christensen, 
grows among the ordinary form and ranges into it. A Natal 
specimen of this nature has an auricle or single pinnule at the 
base of each pinna. 
