DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 
215 
bi-pinnatifid, but seldom cut quite to the rachis which has 
always a wide green margin. It varies considerably, and 
sometimes the barren fronds are small, round, and hardly 
lobed at all, while the fertile fronds on the same plant are 
cut nearly to the rachis, and the pinnae again deeply cut into 
pointed, lobed, pinnules. The pinnules on the lower side 
of the lower pinnae are much longer and more cut than the 
others. The fronds are one to four inches long and broad, 
and have a black, shining, wiry, and nearly naked rachis of 
equal length. The lower pinnae are nearly as large as the 
rest of the frond, thus making it more or less three-lobed. 
Sori continuous all along the margin, or in some cases very 
much interrupted, and resembling Cheilanthes. Indusium 
wide, membranaceous. Mid-rib and main veins black and 
shining; small veins distinctly visible, forked, but not uniting 
again. This is frequently known as the Oak Fern, but has 
no connection with the English Oak Fern ( Polypodium dry - 
opteris ), nor with another species {P oly podium phymatodes ), 
frequently grown here under the name of Oak Fern. From 
both these it is easily distinguished by the generic characters. 
This is the Pellaea geraniifolia of our first edition. 
A much cut specimen from Matabeleland in Herb. Gub. 
has the Cheilanthoid fructification throughout, and is certainly 
Cheilanthes Kirkii Hk., but specimens from Cape Colony often 
have fronds or parts of fronds like this, while on others the 
indusium is continuous ; and as it outgrows this condition, it 
is impossible to maintain the C. Kirkii as a distinct plant. 
Pteris pedata L., which is similar but has the veins uniting 
again freely, is the Litobrochia of Presl with which Pappe 
and Rawson seem to have confused this, but it is held as a 
distinct species by Baker, and is not found in S. Africa. 
Dory opteris concolor (Langs, and Fisch.). Kuhn, v. Deck. Reis. 3^ 
1879; C. Chr. Ind. 243. 
Pellaea geraniifolia Fee. Hk. Sp. 2, 132; Hk. and Bkr, Syn. Fit: 
146; Sim, Ferns of S. Afr. 1st ed. 92. 
Pteris geraniifolia Raddi. Kze, Linnaea , 24, 271; Hk. Ic. Plant. 
tab. 91 5. 
Pteris pedata. Kze, Linnaea , 10, 522; Pappe and Rawson, 25; Ecklon 
and Zeyher, No. 38 (not P. pedata Linn.'). 
