Descriptions of the Species. 
201 
123. Polypodium lanceolatum. Linn. 
Plate CXVII. Natural size, small. 
Rhizome very long, epiphytal, slender and wiry, slightly 
branched, clothed in adpressed, lanceolate, dark scales. Fronds 
simple, linear-lanceolate, coriaceous, entire, rather obtuse, but 
tapering to both ends, especially to the base, four to twelve inches 
long, half-inch broad, with a paleaceous, or sometimes naked, 
wiry stipe, one to six inches long. The upper surface of the frond 
is often almost glabrous, and the underside and stipe are more or 
less paleaceous with minute peltate scales, which are black in the 
centre and lighter outside. Sori large, mostly in the upper part of 
the frond, and sunk into it in a row on each side the mid-rib. 
Veins obscure, forming areolae with free veinlets ; margin often 
inflexed. The scales on the frond are similar to those of 
P. incanum, but vary very much in number, and the size of the 
frond also varies. In strong growing forest plants the fronds are 
six to twelve inches long, with a wiry stalk, and only a few 
scattered scales ; but in rock-grown plants, exposed to sunshine, 
the fronds are only two to three inches long, with short stalks, and 
are densely covered with scales. 
Schlechtendal mentions vars. latifolium and angustifolium, but 
they are not distinct with us. 
Polypodium lanceolatum. Linn.; Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil. 356; Kuhn, 
Fil. Afr. 147. 
Polypodium lepidotum. Willd.; Hk. Sp. V. 56 ; Schl. Ad urn. 17, tab. 
8 ; Kze. Linnsea, 10-497. 
Pleopeltis ensifolia. Carm. ; Hk. Ex. Fil. pi. 62. 
Pleopeltis lepidota. Presl. ; Pappe and Rawson, 40. 
A small specimen in Herb. Gub. is named Polypodium 
Zeyheri, Sieb , No. 261. 
Tropical and sub-tropical America, India, Africa, and Islands. 
West.— Table Mountain (Bergins), Paradise, Swellendam, George 
(Rawson), Grootvadersbosch (Drege), Knysna (Pappe). 
East.— Krakakamma, Bontjes River, Uitenhage, Winterberg (Drege), 
Albany. 
