DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPECIES 
305 
more confluent when fertile. Rachis and under surface more 
or less paleaceous. This fern seems altogether out of place 
here, as its habit and general appearance would place it in 
Cheilanthes, but the capsules which are very large and 
marginal belong to this sub-order. The upper half of the 
frond is the part which becomes fertile, and as the edges 
turn in over the capsules, it becomes more rounded and looks 
different. It is strongly fragrant, and known as the scented 
fern ; and Pappe and Rawson mention that the dry fronds 
are pulverised, and with fat made into a cooling ointment for 
burns and scalds. They give the vernacular name as Brand- 
boschjes. 
The size and scaliness of the plant vary exceedingly. 
Forest-grown specimens have fronds sometimes two feet long, 
four inches broad, and almost destitute of scales ; and there 
is every gradation from this, down to the dwarf rock-grown 
specimens with fronds three inches long, three-quarter inch 
broad, and densely covered with reddish scales. This latter 
seems to agree in every respect with the description and figure 
of Mohria vestita Bkr (. leones Plant., Plate 1696), from Kili- 
manjaro. 
Another form, M. achilleaefolia Lowe, which is very much 
cut and has the fertile pinnae as much cut, is represented in 
Dr Atherstone’s collection without locality. 
Mohria caffrorum (Linn.) Desv. Kuhn, Fit. Afr. 171; Hk. and Bkr, 
Syn. Fit. 436; Sim, Ferns of S. Afr., 1st ed., 233; C. Chr. Ind. 
429. 
Poly podium caffrorum. Linn. Mant. 307 (1771). 
Adiantum caffrorum Linn. Thunb. Prod. 173; Thunb. FI. Cap. 736 
(not of Swartz). 
Osmunda thurifraga Commers. Bory. 
Mohria thurifraga Swartz. Schl. Adum. 12; Kze, Linn. 10, 492; 
Pappe and Rawson, 46. 
Mohria crenata. Desv. 
Tropical and sub-tropical Africa and African Islands ; 
generally in damp places in the outskirts of the forests. 
West.— Table Mountain, Devil’s Mountain, and Lion’s Mountain 
(Bergius); Hangklip (Mund and Maire) ; Tulbagh, Caledon, 
Dutoitskloof (Kunze) 4 George (R. Schlechter, 2340; distributed 
S. F. s. A. 
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