104 
The Ferns of South Africa. 
Pinnae patent, approximate, distinctly petioled, one and a half 
inches long, ovate or ovate-oblong, obtuse. Pinnules three to five- 
jugate, very shortly petioled, obliquely oblong-ovate, somewhat 
pointed, distinctly petioled in the lower part, sessile above ; 
terminal pinnules often three-lobed ; veins immersed, repeatedly 
forked ; margin revolute, narrow. 
Allosorus. Kze. Hb. ; Mett. MSS. South Africa (Breutel). 
Gathered also by Mr. Todd, of Inanda, in the Transvaal, and 
Mr. Wood, who saw the specimen, describes it as having the 
colour and texture of P. calomelanos, together with the form of 
P. hastata, Link. Possibly it belongs to P. hastata, Link., var. 
glauca. 
Pelkea leucomelas. Baker, Syn. Fil. 478. 
Pteris leucomelas. Mett. MSS.; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 83. 
50. Pell/ea calomelanos. Link. 
Plate XL 1 . Natural size. 
Crown tufted, shaggy, with long narrow linear brown scales. 
Frond two to three-pinnate, deltoid, six to eight inches long, four 
to six inches broad, with a stout stipe of three to four inches, 
which is slightly paleaceous, with adpressed woolly scales below, 
but in the upper part, rachis, and petioles, quite naked, wiry, and 
shining black. Lower pinnae deltoid, erecto-patent, with three to 
five pairs of pinnules, or sometimes these are again pinnate ; 
pinnules distinctly though shortly stalked, two to six lines broad 
and long ; cordate, ovate-deltoid, hastate, or three-lobed, but 
generally from a cordate base, and always more or less rounded at 
the point ; very thick in texture, glaucous, and glabrous. 
Terminal pinnule of each pinna not much different, but generally 
three-lobed. Involucre quite marginal, narrow, membranaceous, 
entire, not opening out flat when mature. This is more rigid and 
leathery in texture than any of the other Pellaeas, and when the 
pinnae get old they drop off, leaving the petiole as if they had 
been jointed on to the top of it. Some specimens are remarkably 
hastate in every pinnule, others almost round, but often the first 
fronds are round, and later ones hastate. 
