240 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
or in notches of the outer margin, the reniform or longish 
sori. Indusium membranaceous, opening inward, and bearing 
the capsules on its inner surface. Veins free in all our species. 
This is a large and widely distributed genus, having about 
180 species, mostly tropical; almost all the species are 
favourites in cultivation, and some have numerous horticul- 
tural sports. 
Key to the species : 
§ Frond simple, reniform. 
130. A. reniforme. 
§§ Frond pinnate. 
13 1. A. caudatum. Pinnae numerous, half to one inch long. 
132. A. lunulatum. Pinnae fewer, much larger, stalked. 
§§§ Frond sub-palmately divided into several pinnate pinnae. 
133. A. Oatesii. Frond glabrous. 
134. A. hispiduluni. Frond densely pubescent. 
§§§§ Frond two, three, four-pinnate. 
135. A. capillus-veneris. Sori across the top of the lobes or 
pinnules, longish, nearly straight, not sunk, pinnules cuneate. 
136. A. Paradiseae . See description. 
137. A. Poiretii. Pinnules shortly cuneate or roundish, small; 
sori one to two in each, reniform, in a deep sinus. 
138. A. aethiopicuni. Pinnules rounded at the base, large; sori 
several in each, curved or reniform. 
139. A. sulphur eum. Frond coated with yellow dust on under 
surface. 
130. ADIANTUM RENIFORME Linn., Var. ASARIFOLIUM 
Willd. 
Plate 1 18. Fig. 1. Nat. size. 
Crown tufted, stalks wiry, three to six inches long, shining, 
nearly black, with a few brown scales at the base. Frond 
reniform, one and a half to two inches broad, with a deep 
sinus, and the rounded lobes at the base almost meeting. 
Frond firm in texture, often plaited, glabrous, except at the 
top of the stalk, where there are scattered woolly hairs. 
Frond slightly lobed, each lobe all round the frond, except 
