i66 
The Ferns of South Africa. 
96. A. capense. Frond three-pinnate or four-pinnatifid ; lower pinnae 
deltoid ; teeth rounded, not bristle pointed. 
97. A. aristatum. Frond four-pinnatifid, lower pinnae deltoid ; teeth 
bristle pointed. 
98. A. Macleaii. Frond simply pinnate, coriaceous ; sori in regular 
lines, or somewhat scattered. 
§§ Veins anastomosing (Cyrtomium, Presl.). 
99. A. falcatum. Frond simply pinnate ; sori scattered. 
94. Aspidium aculeatum, Sw., var. pungens. Klf. 
Plate LXXXIX, Natural size. 
Crown procumbent, abundantly paleaceous, elongating into a 
thick rhizome several inches long, set all round with the stipes of 
decayed fronds, from whose bases roots are freely given off. 
Fronds two-pinnate or sometimes casually three-pinnatifid, firmly 
herbaceous, or sub-coriaceous, varying from one to four feet long, 
five to twelve inches broad ; rather less or deflexed below, and with 
a stout stipe six to twelve inches long, which is abundantly palea- 
ceous, with large, pointed, laciniate, brown scales at the base, and 
set with shorter, brown or red, woolly, scarious scales upward and 
throughout the rachis and secondary rachises. Pinnae three to six 
inches long, lanceolate, about an equal breadth (three-quarters to 
one inch) for half the distance from the base to the point, then 
tapering. Pinnules sessile or shortly stalked, numerous, one-sided, 
sharp-pointed, toothed on the upper and outer edges with bristle- 
pointed teeth, or cut more or less into toothed lobes. Sori small, 
numerous. The pinnules differ very much in form, position, 
cutting, &c., in different forms, but intermediate varieties are to be 
found all through. The same plant in shade and in sun, or under 
a stone and on a stone, shows most of the variations that occur, 
and they cannot be separated nor perpetuated. 
Buchanan, Wood, and Lady Barkly introduce A. aculeatum, 
Sw., as distinct from A. pungens ; and Pappe and Rawson so 
introduce P. angulare; but except these are all founded on 
A. luctuosum, I fail to find the two. The distinguishing character 
