136 
The Ferns of South Africa . 
Kaff. — Frequent along the forest range ; Chumie, Perie, Frankfort, 
Stutterheim, Toise River, &c., and Main, Transkei (Mrs. Young). 
Natal. — From Maritzburg to Drakensberg, 3000 to 5000 feet (Buchanan, 
Wood). 
71. Asplenium erectum. Bory. 
Plates LXII., 2, LXIV., LXV., LXVI., 1, LXVII. 
Crown erect, tufted, without scales. Fronds one-half to two feet 
long, three-quarters to three inches broad, herbaceous, glabrous, 
pinnate or two-pinnate, widest at the middle, tapering very gradu- 
ally to each end, and often proliferous at the apex. Rachis green 
or brown, with a green margin, and not hairy. Pinnae about 
forty pairs, more or less one-sided, varying from entire to pinnate 
in different varieties. Sori numerous, oblong, oblique, in two 
rows. Veins pinnate, main vein near centre of the pinna. This 
is the most variable fern we have, and as such, the most confusing. 
What we here regard as varieties have been made species by 
different authors, and each keeps true to its character, though its 
surrounding conditions be changed. Still though the extremes 
are very dissimilar, we find in the forest every intermediate grade 
from one form to another all through, and do not see how they 
can be satisfactorily separated ; indeed we find difficulty in 
excluding A. varians, Hk., from the same group. 
Included above are the following, which Pappe and Rawson 
give in a scattered fashion as species : — A. lunulatum, Sw., A. 
erectum, Bory ; A. brachyotus, Kze.; A. Zeyheri, P. & R. ; 
A. lobatum, P. & R.; A. gracile, P. & R. Kuhn gives the same 
species, using the same names, except A. gracile, P. & R., which 
he calls A. Pappei, Moore, and adds A pulchrum, Th. Buchanan 
and Wood admit only four species, A. lunulatum, Sw.; A. 
harpeodes, Kze.; A. brachyotus, Kze.; and A. gracile, P. & R. 
Hk. and Bkr. in “ Syn. Fil.” include all under A. lunulatum, Sw., 
mentioning A. harpeodes, Kze.; A. lobatum, P. & R.; and 
A. gracile, P. & R., as forms. 
The synonymy of these forms, especially the cut forms, is very 
