272 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
plants, on account of the fronds curling up so as to show only 
the scaly underside of the frond during drought, and again 
expanding fresh and green when moist weather returns. 
A specimen in Herb. Gub. has the frond larger, lower 
pinnae separate, an inch long, and with one or two distinct 
pinnules on the lower side (fig. d). 
Polypodiuin polypodioides (Linn.). Hitchcock, Rep. Mo. Bot. Gard. 4, 
156 (1893); C. Chr. Ind. 555. 
Polypodium inca?ium Sw. Schrad. Jour. 1800, 2, 25; Kunze, Linnaea. 
9,41; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 147; Hk. and Bkr, Syn. Fil. 346; Sim, 
Ferns of South Africa , 1st ed., 194. 
Marginaria minima. Bory. 
Polypodium Ecklonii. Kze, Linnaea , 10, 498; Pappe and Rawson, 39. 
Acrostichum polypodioides. Linn. Sp. 2, 1068 (1753). 
Tropical America and Africa ; epiphytal on trees, and 
often far up among the branches. 
West. — Knysna (Lady Barkly) ; Olifantshoek (E. and Z.). 
East. — Uitenhage, Bushman’s River (E. and Z.); Bedford (Holland); 
Grahamstown (Bolus, 1726); Kagaberg (MacOwan). 
Kaff. — Beaufort (E. and Z.) ; Transkei (Drege) ; Komgha (Flanagan) 
abundant in Perie, Alice, Dohne, and all the larger forests. 
Natal. — Common in upper and midland districts (Wood); Van 
Reenen’s Pass (Dr Rehmann, 7209); Maritzburg, Kranzkop, Um- 
pumulo, and common in upland bush (Buchanan); Lidgetton (A. 
Roberts, 870) ; Buccleuch (W. Leighton). 
Transvaal. — Macamac (McLea); Houtboschberg (W. Nelson, 463; 
R. Schlechter, 4451); Barberton, 1907 (J. Thorncroft, 96); Wood- 
bush (Mrs Pott, 4668). 
Rhodesia. — On a tree in the Temple of Zimbabye, June 1904 (Holland); 
Chirinda Forest, 3700 — 4000 ft. (Swynnerton, 809). 
Portuguese East Africa. — Moramballa (Kirk); below Estatuene 
(T. R. Sim). 
157. Polypodium ensiforme Thbg. 
Plate 137. Nat. size. 
Rhizome stout, creeping, branching, rooting, epiphytal, 
densely paleaceous toward the point, with laciniated, lanceo- 
late, ferruginous scales. Frond glabrous, thickly coriaceous, 
very various, simply pinnate, ovate-acuminate, four to nine 
inches long, three to six inches broad, with a channelled 
rachis six to nine inches long, and sometimes varying to 
