Descriptions of the Species. 
107 
and serrate when not fertile. Indusium narrow, herbaceous in 
texture like the frond, except the margin, which is scarious and 
entire. Veins free, slightly forked, parallel. 
Pteris longifolia. Linn. Sp. 1531 ; Hk. Sp. II. 157 5 Hk. and Bkr. Syn. 
Fil. 153 ; Kuhn. Fil. Afr. 83. 
Pteris costata, Bory. 
Pteris ensifolia, Swartz. 
Thunberg’s Pteris cuspidata may have belonged to this, but is 
set down by Kuhn as barren fronds of Angiopteris (Marattia). 
Throughout the tropics and a little beyond ; nowhere common 
in S. Africa, but scattered, growing beside open running water. 
East. — Alexandra Forest (Holland), Uitenhage, possibly naturalized 
(MacOwan). 
Kaff. — Komgha (Flanagan). 
Natal. — Hot springs at Inhlimbiti, 2500 ft. alt.; Fields Hill; Weenen 
Thorns’, Cathkin ; Inanda (Buchanan) ; Verulam ; Umlaas (Wood). 
Transvaal. — Magalisberg (Burke), Macamac (McLea), Pretoria, Aapie’s 
Poort (Dr. Rehmann, 4047). 
53. Pteris Cretica. Linn. 
Plate XLI 1 I. Small frond, natural size. b. Sporeling plant. 
Rhizome shortly creeping, naked, subterranean. Fronds 
glabrous, simply pinnate, but with lower pinnae forked ; six to 
twelve inches long, four to ten inches broad, on a glabrous, green, 
furrowed stipe, one foot or more long. Pinnae two to five opposite 
pairs, sessile, linear-lanceolate, pointed, sharply serrate when barren, 
with white teeth or teeth connected into a white margin. Lower 
pinnae largest, with one to two linear pinnules forking from them 
on the lower side. Upper three pinnae connected at the base, and 
slightly decurrent, the rest of the rachis not winged. Fertile 
pinnae three to four lines broad, barren pinnae often broader. 
Indusium narrow, membranaceous, marginal, but not a continuation 
of the edge of the frond. Veins parallel, once forked. 
Var. stenophylla, has 3 to 5 pinnae only, all rising together, 
and is known as the five finger fern, but does not adhere strictly 
to its character. 
