156 Mil. C. B. claeke's botanic notes 



Very plentiful. Gets smaller above 9000 feet, but does not alter 

 its character or run into the next. 



Nephrodium Nidus. 9000-10,000 ped. alt. 



000 



Nidus 



( 



Wallich 



L. Filix-Mas. Mr. Thwaites, on the contrary, thought the fern 

 so very near L. apiciflora, that it might be made a variety of it ; 

 and in this view Capt. Henderson and W. S. Atkinson concur. 

 I will therefore, describe it more particularly in comparison with 

 L+apiciflora. 



Rootstock tufted, the fronds (6-12) rising in a perfect circle round it, as 

 in Asplenium Nidus. Fronds 1-2^ feet long, very narrow, lanceolate. 

 Pinnae close, approximate, the lower ones deflexed, and the lower 

 pinnae gradually reduced to the very base of the stipe. Rachis with 

 very long linear dark -brown scales. Sori not in the least apicifloral. 

 Pinnules truncated at top, with a very narrow scarious margin. 



My own opinion is that this fern is most nearly allied to L. api- 

 ciflora, and that it is as good a species as apiciflora itself. 



N. Filix-Mas. 



* j 



a. Bipinnate, not tripinnate. Sori not large. 7000-8000 ped. alt. 



Rare. The common English form. 



/3. maderensis. Not dimorphous. Stipe grooved above. A mass 

 of soft yellow scales at base of stipe. Sori very large. 7000-10,000 

 ped. alt. 



Abundant. A fern very different from Lastrea cochleata (except 

 to the large sori); but unfortunately Wallich distributed some 

 maderensis marked cochleata in his own hand ; for I have seen it. 



y. elongata. Frond broad, tripinnate. Lower pinnae not auricled. 

 7000-8000 ped. alt. 



Not common. This form comes too close to i. sparsa. 



N. patentissimum, Wallich,- sub Lastrea (a var. of Filix-Mas, for 

 Baker). 7000-9000 ped. alt. 



Common. A magnificent fern, with narrow oblong fronds 

 nearly 6 feet long ; rachis densely scaly. So far as I can judge, 

 it is better separated specifically from L. Filix-Mas than are 

 L. sparsa and several other admitted species. 



JV. fusiforme, W. S. Atkinson, is related to this exactly as my 





