DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 
195 
slender naked brown stipe six to twelve inches long. Pinnae 
distant, ovate pointed or deltoid, the lower ones largest, four 
to nine inches long, two to four inches broad, the lower pin- 
nules on the lower side much larger than the others. Pinnules 
numerous, separate, shortly stalked, bluntly ovate-deltoid, de- 
creasing in size regularly up the pinnae, and divided to the 
mid-rib into separate, flabellate, bifid, trifid, or pinnatifid 
segments, the ultimate lobes a half-line broad, rounded at 
the apex, and having one veinlet each. Sori brown, linear, 
following the veins and meeting below. 
G. argeiitea (Willd.). Mett. MS.; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 59; Hk. and Bkr, 
ed. 2, 385 ; Buchanan’s List, No. 114; Sim, Ferns of S. Afr., 1st ed., 
214; C. Chr. Index , 333. 
Hemionitis arge?itea. Willd. Sp. 5, 132, 1810. 
Acrostichum argentenm. Bory. 
G. conspersa. Kze, Linnaea , 18, 1 16 ; Pappe and Rawson, 41; Hk. 
Sp. 5, 147. 
G. rosea Desv. Hk. and Bkr, Syn. Fil. ed. 1, 385; Moore’s Index , 62; 
Me Ken’s Natal Ferns , 104. 
South Africa and Mascarene Islands only ; known as the 
silver fern, and Wood remarks that it is very difficult to 
transplant from the wild state. 
Natal. — In the crevices of rocks near the cataract between the 
Omfondi and Tugela Rivers (Gueinzius) ; rocks in damp ravines, 
common on Noodsberg, Isangwana, Karkloof (McKen); Umpumulo 
rare, 3000 feet alt. (Buchanan) ; Buccleuch (W. Leighton). 
Transvaal. — Drakensberg, near Macamac Gold Fields (McLea). 
Rhodesia. — Chimanimani Mts, 7000 ft (Swyn. 677). 
95. Gymnogramma aurea Desv. 
Plate 184. Fig. 1. Nat. size. B Pinnule, enlarged. 
Similar in some respects to G. argentea , but much smaller 
and the powder on the under surface of the frond is bright 
yellow instead of white. Usually only three to four inches 
high ; fronds deltoid, three to four-pinnatifid. 
Gymnogramme aurea. Desv.; Berl. Mag. 5, 303, 1911. 
Acrostichum aureum. Bory. 
G. argentea Mett.., var. aurea. Mett. MS.; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 59 ; Sim, 
Ferns of S. Afr., 1st ed., 215. 
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