THE FERNS OF NATAL. 
1877 . 
Sub-Order 1. 
GLEICHENIACE^E. 
Named in honor of Baron P.F. von Oleichen a German botanist. 1'his 
Sub-order contains 2 Genera, and is very distinct in general appearance 
from all others. Its characteristics are -1st. The ring surrounding the cap- 
sule or spore case is more or less strictly horizontal, the spore case 
bursts irregularly and is not valvate, and the fissure has a vertical instead 
of the more usual horizontal direction. 
2nd. The spore eases are sessile i. e. not stalked. 
3rd. The sori are oligocarpous and intramarginal. 
The Gleichenias have rigid opaque fronds and tree veins; they are almost 
confined to the Southern Hemisphere, only two species beiug found North 
of the Equator. We have in Natal 3 Species, all belonging to the Genus 
Qleichenia , the other genus Platyzoma not being represented here. 01 
these 3 species one belongs to the group or section Eu-Gleiclienia distin- 
guished by its small more or less concave segments, and sori containing 
3 to 5 capsules, the other two to the Section Mertensia or as it is now 
called Mecosorus, ‘with elongated and plane segments, and medial, oi 
axillary sori, containing 5 to 12 capsules. 
GLEICHENIA. 
Segments small, ovate, Capsules 3 5 in each sorus, polypodioides. 
„ oblong, a pair of pinna; at each fork ... dichotoma. 
„ „ Rachis woolly umbraculifera. 
Section Eu-Gleiciieni a. 
G. polypodiodes. 
(Polypodioides similar to or resembling polypodium) . 
Generally found growing on precipitous rocks and near waterfalls, but 
sometimes upon damp banks and ditches. At first sight it has not much 
the appearance of a fern, and is no doubt often passed over by collectors, 
especially when not in fruit: it grows usually in tangled masses, the young- 
est and greenest fronds being on the surface and underneath a quantity 
of decayed and decaying fronds and stipites. 
The stipites arc naked, wiry and repeatedly forked or branched, the 
pinnae are linear, the segments small, and ovate ; the sori one in each lobe 
near its upper margin, sunk in a cavity which is visible as a raised lump 
on the upper surface ; the fronds are bright green on upper surface, and 
glaucous beneath, It is not like some of the ferns always to be found in 
fruit, but about December and January we have generally succeeded in 
getting good specimens. It is found plentifully about Inauda, Noodsbeig, 
and throughout the midland districts. 
2' FEB. '’932 
