Descriptions of the Species. 
45 
shaped, sometimes only once forked, in other cases repeatedly 
dichotomous, and with the central bud developed into branches, 
which are again repeatedly dichotomous. The terminal pinnae are 
three to six inches long, one to one and a half inches broad, 
tapering to the point, and divided to the rachis into numerous 
close pinnules, one half to one inch long, and one line broad. 
These pinnules are also produced all along every branch down to 
the first fork (except the first length of a developed central bud), 
and usually the lower pinnules of a branch are smaller than the 
others. Stem, rachis, and buds, densely covered with light brown, 
woolly tomentum, which soon gets rubbed off the exposed parts, 
leaving them brown and shining. Pinnules glaucous on the 
underside, linear, undivided, and bearing six to ten sori each, 
which are not sunk into the frond, but consist each of four to five 
capsules, surrounding a raised receptacle. 
Gleichenia urribraculifera, Moore; Hook. Syn. Fil., 13; Kuhn, Fil. Afr., 
168 ; Wood’s Natal Ferns, 4. 
Mertensia umbraculifera, Kunze, Linnsea, 18, 114; Pappe and Rawson, 
10. 
Found only in South Africa, from Kafifraria northward, growing 
in dense masses on steep grassy banks, often fully exposed to the 
sun, at 2000 to 4000 feet alt. Never found inside thick bush, but 
often just above it. 
Kaff. — Mount Bazija, Transkei (Baur.), Kubusie (A. E. Murray), Perie 
Mountain, near Bailey’s Grave, and above Perie Mission Station. 
Dolme Hill above Stutterheim, and frequent in upper streams of Toise 
River. 
Natal. — Great and Little Noodsberg (Wood), Grey town, Maritzburg, 
Richmond (M‘Ken.), abounds on Drakensberg at Cathkin, Umpumulo 
(Buch). 
Transvaal, near Leydenburg (Dr. W. G. Atherstone), Pilgrim’s Rest (W. 
Roe). 
3. Gleichenia Dichotoma. Willd. 
Plate 3. Natural size, b part of pinnule, with sori. 
Frond repeatedly dichotomous, and often with the central 
buds developed ; but the branches are all without pinnules, 
