44 
The Ferns of South Africa. 
to G. glauca, and that G. argentea is intermediate between them. 
Later authorities maintain G. argentea as a variety of G. polypo- 
dioides, and omit G. glauca ; but Baker recognises only one form. 
Some specimens have longer pinnules, some are more glaucous, 
and some have the rachis quite set with woolly, ferruginous shag, 
while others are naked ; but all these conditions can be found in 
one clump, and are caused by surrounding circumstances : and 
though in dried specimens they may appear distinct forms, still in 
growth they cannot be separated. 
Gleichenia polypodioides, Smith; Schl. Adum. n ; Thunb. prod. 173 ; 
Thunb. Flor. Cap., 377 ; Schk. Fil., 150, t. 149; Ivunze in Linnoea, 10, 
489 ; Pappe and Rawson, 10 ; Wood’s Natal Ferns, 3 ; Kuhn Fil. Afr., 
167 ; Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil., 11. 
Gleichenia glauca, Sw. (non Hooker) Kunze Linnsea, 10, 489. 
Gleichenia polypodioides, var. B. glauca, Hk. Sp. 1, 3 ; Pappe and 
Rawson, 10. 
Gleichenia argentea, Kaulf. Enum. Fil. ; Kunze, Linnsea, 10, 490 ; Pappe 
and Rawson, 10. 
Onoclea polypodioides, Linn. Syst. Veg. 
Known only in South Africa, nowhere common, but occasional 
on damp rocks in Cape Colony, more frequent in Natal, and found 
north to Angola. 
West. — Table Mountain, Grenadendal, Tulbagh (Pappe), Cedernbergen 
(Drege), Krom River (Kze), Zoudereinde. 
East. -S.W. side of Van Staadensberg (Burchell, 4712), Van Stadens 
River (E. and Z.), Tzitzikama (Atherstone), Fern Kloof, and Howi- 
son’s Poort, Grahamstown. 
Kaff. — Perie Mountain, above Kabula, Glen Gray (Barker). 
Natal. — Inanda, Noodsberg, and through mid-Natal (Wood), Umpumulo 
(Buch.), Umlaas, and Maritzburg (M‘Ken. ). 
Transvaal. — Magalisbergen (M‘Ken. ). 
Free State. — Rouxville dist. 
2. Gleichenia umbraculifera. Moore. 
Plate 2. Natural size, b pinnules, with sori. 
Rhizome mostly underground, several yards in length, two to 
three lines in diameter, at first set with brown scales, afterwards 
bare and shining. Fronds two to four feet high, more or less fan 
