524 MR. C. B. CLARKE ON THE FERNS OF NORTHERN INDIA, 
Kunze in Linnea, xxiv. 284. A. catophoron, Kunze in Bot. Zeit. vi. 262. Lastrea 
sparsa, Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. Suppl. t. 375 (var. obtusissima). Polypodium oppo- 
situm, Wall. Cat. 7080. 
Himalaya, alt. 3000-9000 feet, from Gurwhal to Bhotan, very common eastward. 
Khasia, alt. 2000-6000 feet; very common.—Distrib. South India, Ceylon, Burma, 
Malaya, China, Mauritius. 
A large series of ferns is collected under this name: the above description includes 
the commonest Sikkim and Khasia plant, which I have taken as type; the frond is com- 
monly 1-2 feet long. Besides the difficult varieties of North India described below, 
Ceylon supplies a different set of forms: according to G. W. (Cat. Ferns Ceylon, p. 6) 
N. undulatum, Hk. & Baker, Syn. Fil. 276 (Lastrea, Bedd. Ferns South. Ind. t. 271), should 
be reduced hither. As to Beddome's figure of N. sparsum type (Ferns South. Ind. t. 103) 
it is correct in outline, but the artist has shown the margin sharply serrate, almost 
spinulose; it is an especial character of all the North-Indian NW. sparsum that the 
margin is not acutely serrated. 
Var. 1. nitidula, Wall. Cat. 392. An alpine small red-legged form, often only 2-4 in. 
long ; involucre deciduous.—Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. t. 374. ` 
Nepaul to Bhotan, alt. 9000-12,000 feet, frequent.—Beddome has figured rather a 
large specimen resembling Wallich’s type plant, which has more persistent involucres 
and is nearer N. sparsum type; but there is no line between this and N. sparsum type. 
Var. 2. latisquama. Rhizome somewhat elongate, clothed with ovate adpressed scales, 
without any red lanceolate-linear densely tufted hairs at the base of the stipe. 
Khasia.—Very similar plants are communicated from Ceylon and Java, and Col. 
Beddome has marked this for me as the type of Blume’s A. purpurascens, which it very 
likely may be; but it is not exactly Don’s Nepaul type. 
Var. 3. squamulosa. Stipe with linear (or lanceolate-linear) permanent ee main 
and partial rhachises of the frond with black pubescence and very short linear 
scales ; frond often very compound. 
Khasia, alt. 3000-5000 feet, common.—In Sikkim there is a large plant, the rom’ 
often 3-4 by 2-3 feet, which I consider to be merely a fully developed form of this; it 
is very common and marked so many diverse names in the Herbarium, that I consider 
no one worth quoting.—Major Henderson thinks this var. should have specific rank. 
Var. 4. minor, Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. Suppl. p. 17.  Fruiting-fronds 3-6 by 13-2 in.; 
pinnze simple or subpinnate at the base por —Hk. ke Baker, Syn. Fil. (2nd ed.), 
498. 
Simla, Edgeworth. North Cachar, Col. Godwin-Austen. Ceylon, Thwaites.—Edge- 
worth’s example agrees exactly with Thwaites’. 
21. N. cRENATUM, C. B. Clarke. Rhizome with a tuft of golden or bright estan 
lanceolate-linear scales; stipe and main rhachis glabrous or nearly sp: frond 3-4- 
 pinnate, ct beneath; involucres villous.—JN. hirsutum, Don, Prodr Fl N ep. 6 
