i88 
The Ferns of South Africa. 
Sori terminal on a free veinlet in the centre of the larger areolae, 
and forming a straight line near the mid-rib in the simple pinnules, 
one sorus below each lobe of the margin ; in the pinnatifid 
pinnules the sori occupying a similar position in the segments and 
absent from near the main mid-rib. Stipe and rachis brownish, 
shining. A variable species. 
Genus XXIII. Nephrolepis. Schott. 
Fronds simply pinnate, the pinnae lanceolate, articulated to the 
rachis, and having one central vein from which arise the spreading 
side veins each forked into three or four sub-parallel veinlets, the 
upper one of which is rather shorter than the others, and ends in 
an intramarginal round sorus, covered by a roundish or emarginate 
indusium. This is a very natural little tropical genus, of which 
one species extends to Natal, and other two occur in Zambesia. 
1 13. Nephrolepis biserrata. Schott. 
Plate CV 1 . Natural size. 
Crown tufted. Frond pinnate, sub-coriaceous, widely lanceo- 
late, three to four feet long, eight to twelve inches broad, with a 
short stout stipe, which is slightly scaly at the base. Pinnae 
sessile, alternate, glabrous, articulated to the rachis, lanceolate- 
acuminate from a rounded base, four to six inches long, three- 
quarter inch broad ; the lower barren ones finely serrate ; the 
fertile with shallow crenations two lines wide, which are slightly 
serrated, or with a small tooth between each. Sori in a straight 
line, one below each sinus, and about a line distant from it. 
Indusium reniform or nearly round, persistent. Rachis almost 
glabrous, or with rufous shag about the base of the pinnae. 
Nephrolepis biserrata Schott.; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 155. 
Nephrolepis acuta. Presl.; Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil. 301. 
Tropics generally. 
