Descriptions of the Species. 
93 
the rest of the frond, thus making it more or less three-lobed. Sori 
continuous all along the margin, or in some cases very much in- 
terrupted, and resembling Cheilanthes. Indusium wide, mem- 
branaceous. Mid-rib and main veins black and shining ; small 
veins distinctly visible, forked, but not uniting again. This is 
frequently known as the Oak Fern, but has no connection with the 
English Oak Fern (Polypodium dryopteris), nor with another 
species (Polypodium phymatodes), frequently grown here under 
the name of Oak Fern. From both these it is easily distinguished 
by the generic characters of Pellaea. 
A much cut specimen from Matebeleland in Herb. Gub. has 
the Cheilanthoid fructification throughout, and is certainly Cheil- 
anthes Kirkii, Hk.,but specimens from the Colony often have 
fronds or parts of fronds, so, while on others the indusium is con- 
tinuous ; and it is impossible to maintain the Chielanthes as a 
distinct plant. Pteris pedata, L., which is similar but has the veins 
uniting again freely, is the Litobrochia of Presl with which Pappe 
and Rawson seem to have confused this, but it is held as a 
distinct species by Baker, and is not found in S. Africa. 
Peltaea geranisefolia, Fee ; Hk. Sp. 2, 132 ; Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil. 146. 
Pteris geraniaefolia, Raddi ; Kze., Linnaea, 24, 271 ; Hk. Ic. Plant, tab. 
915 - 
Pteris pedata, Kze., Linnaea, 10, 522, ; Pappe and Rawson, 25 ; Ecklon 
and Zeyher, No. 38; (not P. pedata, Linn.) 
Pteris Pohliana, Presl ; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 88. 
Pteris concolor, Langs and Fisch. Ic. tab. 21. 
Cheilanthes Kirkii, Hk. Ic. Fil. II., tab. 81 ; Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil. 132. 
Throughout the tropics and a little beyond them ; growing on 
dry banks in bush ; not uncommon, but rather local eastwards ; 
not recorded from the west. 
East. — Uitenhage (Drege), Bedford (Miss Cook), Amos Kloof, Grahams- 
town (Dr. Atherstone), Boschberg (MacOwan), Kat River (E. and Z.) 
Kaff. — Tamacha (E. and Z.), Komgha (Flanagan), Pondoland (Drege), 
near Peddie, Dohne, Perie, Mt. Kemp, Frankfort. 
Natal. — From the Coast to Maritzburg (Wood) ; Umpumulo (Buchanan). 
Matabeleland. — Mngama’s Poort (J. Fry). 
Transvaal. — (Herb. Bolus.). 
