Descriptiotis of the Species. 
119 
simply pinnate, coriaceous, glabrous, widely lanceolate, one to 
two feet long, three to six inches broad at the middle, tapering to 
the point, and to the short slightly paleaceous stipe. Rachis 
naked, channelled. Pinnae alternate, numerous, one to every 
three-quarter-inch ; pinnae of the barren frond somewhat falcate, 
two to three inches long, four lines broad, tapering to the sharp or 
rounded point, cordate at the base, or hastate, or auricled on the 
upper side, connected to the rachis by a short stalk only, or the 
upper pinnae somewhat adnate at the base. The lower pinnae are 
more distant, and reduced to rounded deflexed auricles. Fertile 
pinnae two to three inches long, one to two lines broad, less 
pointed, and less cordate at the base, except the lower ones, which 
are short, and often more or less barren. Involucre continuous, 
marginal, or intramarginal, nearly entire, broad ; sori often cover- 
ing the whole underside except the mid-rib. This is a most 
changeable plant ; sometimes not unlike a small state of 
L. attenuata, W., but distinguished by its free pinnae ; at other 
times having the character of Blechnum, and difficult to dis- 
tinguish from Blechnum australe, L., with which it is confused in 
several Cape herbaria. 
A two-pinnatifid form (Plate LIII.) sometimes occurs, not 
unlike a similar form of B. australe, and like it, fertile and falcate 
in the upper pinnae, and barren below ; but it does not appear to 
be constant. 
As some of the varieties of L. punctulata are more or less 
permanent, and have received names placing them in different 
genera, the most distinct are given here, retaining the above as the 
type, for which synonyms are as under. 
Laijiaria punctulata. Kze. Linnaea, 10.507; Pappe and Rawson, 28; 
Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil. 179. 
Blechnum punctulatum. Sw. ; Schl. Adum. 37, tab. 21 and 22, fig. 2; 
Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 93. 
Lomaria densa. Kaulf. en. 15 1. 
Lomaria auriculata. Desv. 
Lomaria australis. Lowe, Fil. IV., PI. 57-58. 
Lomaria pumila. Kaulf. (not L. pumila, Kze., and P. and R., nor 
L. pumila, Raoul ; Hk. and Bkr). 
