3H 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
Dr Asa Gray points out that as the genus is named after 
Marsili, an Italian naturalist, it should be written Marsilia, not 
Marsilea. Christensen retains Marsilea. 
About fifty species are described, of which nearly half 
are African. The size and appearance change exceedingly 
in accordance with water supply, as also does the amount of 
silky pubescence, and we had great doubts about introducing 
four species into our first edition and have now reduced them 
to varieties or conditional forms of one species, satisfied that 
the variations are not fixed. 
193. Marsilia macrocarpa Presl. 
Plate 17 1. Normal form, nat. size. 
Rhizome wide creeping, somewhat succulent, with distant 
leaves on petioles four to six inches long when growing out 
of water, and often eighteen inches long in water. Leaflets 
glabrous, on average plants three-quarter inch long, three- 
quarter inch broad, with a broadly cuneate base, and rounded, 
crenate, or occasionally emarginate outer edge. Capsules 
produced mostly on shorter branches, often after the leaves 
are decayed, two to three lines long, one to one and a half 
lines broad, oval oblong, shortly pointed at the lower corner, 
adnate by nearly the whole base to the half-inch stipe. 
M. macrocarpa. Presl, Abh. bohm. Ges. 5, 3, 580 (1845); Baker, 
Fern Allies, 144; Kuhn, Fil. Apr. 199; Sim, Ferns of S. Afr., 1st 
ed., 259; C. Chr. Ind. 418. 
M. Dregeana. A. Br. 1864. 
The above is the typical and usual form, but it varies into 
the forms described below. 
West. — “Cape (Drege, E. and Z., Burchell),” Kuhn. 
East. — Uitenhage and Grahamstown (Dr Schonland). 
Kaff. — East London, King William’s Town, Breakfast Vley, Frank- 
fort, etc. (T. R. Sim); Lovedale (W. G. B. 733); Xalanga (Dr Kolbe, 
Miss Pegler). 
Natal. — Abundant in ponds and slow streams (T. R. Sim). 
Transvaal. — -Pretoria (Dr Rehmann); Mooi River ditches at Potchef- 
stroom (Burtt-Davy, 1027); Rapetoe, 4000 ft (R. Schl. 4675); 
Springbok Flats (Burtt-Davy, 1746). 
