530 MR. C. B. CLARKE ON THE FERNS OF NORTHERN INDIA. 
"Var. microsora. Stipe with linear-subulate, long, soft, brown, permanent pales to- 
wards the base; stipe upwards and main rhacis softly patently pilose; pinnæ cut 
down nearly to the midrib, with scattered white needle-like hairs beneath; sori 
minute, near the midrib of the pinne, scarcely extending to the lobes; involucre 
distinct, glabrous, caducous. 
Sikkim, alt. 500-4000 feet, common, C. B. Clarke. __This fern is what has been known 
as the Sikkim form of JV. didymosorum, Parish. It resembles, indeed, Parish’s plant in 
the cutting and disposition of the sori, but differs in the extensively creeping rhizome 
and lesser points. Mr. Baker says he does not see where it is to be put except next 
N. extensum, which it resembles in outline, but has the pinne still more deeply 
pinnatifid. 
Var. late-repens. Creeping 100 yards, throwing up distant fronds; frond sometimes 
somewhat reduced at base, or the stipe with auricles; sori medium-sized, scattered 
generally, in hairiness and cutting as the preceding var. 
Terai, universal.—This fern creeps in the sand near streams where they debouch from 
the hills, covering acres, I might say square miles, of country, as round Siligori: 
33. N. PRocURRENs, Hk. & Baker, Syn. Fil. 290. Rhizome creeping 1-2 feet ; stipe with 
linear subulate, brown, lax, persistent scales at the base; stipe upwards and main 
rhachis beneath minutely sparsely hairy; lower pinne slightly reduced, or some- 
times the frond tapers considerably at the base ; pinnz cut down 3-3 the way to the 
midrib into subobtuse lobes, shortly pubescent on the veins Ead. l or 2 pairs of 
veinlets uniting; sori medium-sized, scattered generally; involucre persistent, 
minutely hairy.— 4spidiwm procurrens, Mett, in Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. i. 231. 
A. nymphale, Blume, Enum. Pl. Jav. Fil. 157, not of Schkuhr. 
East Bengal Plain, C. B. Clarke.—Distrib. Ceylon, Java. 
Mr. Baker remarks, this fern is uno verbo N. parasiticum, with a creeping rhizome. 
In no fern is the rhizome really erect; it is decumbent, often very short; but in many 
ferns, under favourable circumstances, it may be lengthened to 6-12in. I doubt very 
much species that stand on this single character; of course there are ferns, like N. ex- 
tensum, var. late-repens, where a single rhizome will cover a quarter of an acre; and ` 
_ this is a good character; but I share Mr. Baker’s doubts whether JV. procurrens is other 
than N. parasiticum inclined to creep a little. Whatever it is, we have it in Bengal. 
tt Stipes frequently auricled, or the frond tapering much at the base. 
34. N. cUcULLATUM, Hk. & Baker, Syn. Fil 290. Stipe and main rhachis beneath. 
hairy; pinnz cut scarcely 3 the way down to the midrib; texture coriaceous, 
veinlets in the lobes beneath raised when dry, very hairy, several pairs uniting ; 
involucres prominent, persistent, glabrous.—JV. unitum, Sieber, Wall. Cat. 358, 
. mainly; Hook. Sp. Fil. iv. 81, partly; Mett. Farngatt. Pheg. & Asp. 107; Bedd. 
. . Ferns South. Ind. t. 88. — Aspidium cucullatum, you», dass PL: gu Fil. 151. 
| . Polypodium caudigerum, Wall. Cat. 298, type sheet. ` veria ecrit 
Assam, SEH —Distrib. KEN Siren Mauritius, à 
