FERNS OF NATAL. 
20 
NEPHROLEPIS, 
( nephros , a kidney ; Ze/ffs, a scale). 
A genus of ferns separated from Nephrodium by the fact, that the son 
erW?i rne - 0n th ° Mpe ^ °f the upper brancl1 of a vein, generally near the 
edge, the Pinna} are articulated to the rachis, and soon fall off i‘n drying 
Some of the species produce from their crowns, long slender roots which 
at inteivals form other crowns, and sometimes tubers. It is a small 
genus, containing only about 7 species, of which we have but one in N™ al 
N. acuta. 
of^he^fv^Mn/ 8 !* 1 tr °, pical fern - found in a bush swamp near the head 
' t B y ' ! N tU ’ ° nt s P ann 8 , y in oue or two other places, like all its 
genus it is simply pinnate, its ironds are 1 — 2 feet or more long • the 
pinnae are lanceolate, and attenuated to an acute point, the edges are more 
oi less wavy or crenate; the sori are in two rows near edges of the pinna. 
The mdusium is reniform and persistent, and the veins are free. 
OLEANDRA. 
A genus of tropical ferns not far removed from Lastrea, but differing 
rouT *£*0 e 1 ea ™. bothm habit and appearance, the species are not num<? 
in Natal- ali y .bp ins desci ?, bed ,he Synopsis Filicum. 1 of which is found 
art£Slitod U fmnH! PeC v 8 i, haVe f ree '' ems * a creeping rhizome and simple 
rn U o^L^^ 1Ch ai e m Sbape hkQ the ieaf °f Oleander, hence we 
suppose tne name of the genus. ’ 
O. articulata, 
. (articulus, a joint). 
.tA®' l,n ? bmg f er ? found . ln the midland districts upon rocks, generally in 
b f S ° metiraes ex P, osed t0 tb e full blaze of the sun, but in 
that case the bonds are usually small, the rhizome is densely scaly and 
the stipes is articulated, with generally a slight swelling at the' join?’ the 
son are large and in two regular rows; and the indusium is^eniform 
veins forked and free, distinctly visible on both sides of the frond In 
transplanting care must be taken to procure the growing point of the 
rhizome or it will not be likely to succeed. ° 1 
POLYPODIUM, 
, . , „ {polys, many ; pous, foot). 
J ZfJT S ferns V vh . ich has h y modern botanists been considerably 
subdivided, it is known by its round and naked sori, the differences in the 
venation serving to mark the different sections. Our Natal species ai" all 
comprised in « sections, viz 1st. Pheyopteris, with free veins and frond, 
which are not jointed to the rachis. 2nd Eu- Poly podium with free vein- 
2l? T i ih d fl j 0n . ds - 3rd ; Goniopteris, with the venation of Eu-Nephro- 
nnTf • l W , h0 . le °F on] y the lower pairs of veinlets, meet angulariy 
and form, from their point of junction, sterile veinlets which run to the’ 
fn! f ° f the . n ] argln of , the segment, the areole thus formed, not contain- 
frmnT fie e vein ets. 4th. Gomophlebium, with veins forked or pinnate 
fi om a central costa, the lower anterior branches being usually free and 
fertile at the apex; the rest angularly anastomosing, and producing from 
their angles free veinlets which are often fertile, the marginal veinlets 
somet 'imes there is but one series of anastomosing veinlets’ 
sometunes more: the free veinlets in the basal areolte distinguish this 
-es ora/eX f 1 Ni P hoho7us ’ distinguished by the ultimate spa- 
- s oi areolae formed by the anastomosing venules containing free, divaricate 
