26o 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
general outline, but old fertile fronds, except in form, be- 
come more like those of P. dentata, and the pinnules are 
often cut quite to the mid-rib, or so near that the veins do 
not unite. It then resembles P. dentata closely. Baker’s 
division Campteria, to which this species belongs, is charac- 
terised by the veins uniting only along the mid-rib ; whereas 
in his division Litobrochia they unite freely throughout ; but 
this character does not hold rigidly, and it is evident that this 
species is a form of P. ( Litobrochia ) marginata Bory, quoted 
by Baker (Syn. Fit. 172) as Kaffrarian, and P. serrulata Pappe 
is stated by Lady Barkly to be the same thing. 
P. Buchanani. Sim, Ferns of South Africa , 1st edition, hi; Baker 
MSS. in Buchanan’s List, No. 42 and in Lady Barkly’s List, No. 56; 
C. Chr. Index, 594. 
West. — Knysna (Lady Barkly). 
East. — Tzitzikamma Forest (Rawson Herb.). 
Kaff. — Transkei near Main (Mrs Young); Evelyn Valley, Perie. 
Natal. — Intshanga, Karkloof, and Entumeni (Buchanan); Biggarsberg 
(Todd). 
Transvaal. — Included in Burtt-Davy’s Check-list. 
147. PTERIS ATROVIRENS Willd. 
Baker’s description of this ( Synopsis Filicmn ) is : 
“St. 1 ft. long, polished, more or less prickly; frond 1 — 2 ft. long; 
terminal pinna 6 — 9 in. long, 2 — 3 in. broad, cut down within a short 
distance of the rachis into numerous linear lobes 1 — 1^ inch long, j — f 
inch broad, which are slightly toothed when barren ; lateral pinnae in 
numerous opposite pairs, the lowest sometimes 1 ft. long, the lobes 
similar to those of the terminal one, the lowest pair forked, with a similar 
smaller pinnule on the under side ; both surfaces naked ; rachis of the 
pinnules beneath sometimes, but not always, furnished with a row of 
weak prickles; texture herbaceous; veins fine and inconspicuous; sori 
not reaching to the point of the segments. P. spinulifera Schum.; Hk. 
Sp. 2, 221. 
Hab. Guinea Coast and Angola. Habit of P. quadriaurita , but 
with prickly stems and anastomosing venation.” 
Not known to me, but included in Eyles’ list of Rhodesian 
plants as found at Victoria Falls by Engler. Baker includes 
it in his section Litobrochia of Pteris, which might bring it 
into our genus Histiopteris, but Christensen retains it in 
Pteris. 
