MR. C. B. CLARKE ON THE FERNS OF NORTHERN INDIA. 531 
^ I much doubt this being a North-Indian fern. The authority is the mixed sheet of 
specimens at Kew, under one of which is noted “ Assam, Griffith," not in Griffith’s 
writing. Griffith collected good series of this fern at Malacca. In several instances 
at Kew plants which Griffith collected at Malacca have been pasted down and marked 
Assam, or Mishmee, or Khasia. I strongly suspect this to be the case here. 
. [Beddome attributes JV. elatum, Bojer, a Mauritius fern, to the Himalaya, on the faith 
of an example of Dr. Jerdon's (see Ferns Brit. Ind. Suppl. p. 18). There is in the Kew 
bundle of N. elatum, var. procerum, placed one Himalayan specimen of Jerdon's, which 
is believed to be that which Colonel Beddome depends upon; but it is (now at least) 
wholly exinvolucrate, and is (for me) one of Mig commonest Himalayan Polypodiums, 
sect. Goniopteris. ] 
35. N. ARIDUM, Hk. & Baker, Syn. Fil. 291. Stipe and main rhachis beneath slightly 
` pubescent; pinnæ cut 4 the way down to the midrib, texture coriaceous; veinlets 
in the lobes beneath raised when dry, hairy, several pairs uniting; involucres 
fugacious.—Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. t. 207. Aspidium aridum, Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 4. 
A. venulosum, Wall. Cat. 352, type sheet. Polypodium scabridum, Wall. Cat. 302. 
Throughout Bengal Plain, abundant; from the Soonderbun to Assam and the Dehra 
Doon, ascending the hills to 3000 feet alt.—Distrib. Throughout India, Ceylon, Malaya, 
North Australia. 
One of the commonest of Indian ferns: the veinlets in the lobes are sometimes 
forked. The texture and raised veins beneath distinguish this easily from all the 
Nephrodiums except JY. cucullatum, which is more hairy, has prominent involucres, and 
(usually) narrower pinnz. It is requisite with more care to distinguish this fern from 
Polypodium, sect. Goniopteris. Colonel Beddome appears now to hold that the species 
of Goniopteris are merely exinvolucrate forms of the corresponding species of Zune- 
phrodium ; as above, Athyrium oxyphyllum has been supposed to include (as a variety) 
the completely exinvoluerate Polypodium Kulhaitense. 
ap Caudex erect, or the rhizome decumbent, hardly creeping, stipes approximate. 
36. N. eLANDULOsUM, Hook. Sp. Fil. iv. 76, partly. Main rhachis closely villous ; frond 
1 foot, adpressedly strigose on. the upper surface; pinne truncate at the base, 
subentire serrate or pinnatifid scarcely 4 the way to the midrib; veinlets beneath 
minutely hirsute, several pairs uniting ; involucres nephrodioid, elongate, promi- 
nent, firm ; sori ultimately often confluent, so that the fern resembles at first sight 
Meniscium.—Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. t. 132? (Pl. LX XIV. fig. 1.) 
Assam, Griffith.—Distrib. Java. 
- The plant figured by Beddome has different sori, and is not strigose above; it is 
that taken as the type of JV. glandulosum, Blume, by Hooker and Mettenius; it is 
common in Malaya, does not occur in North India. The above diagnosis is from 
Blume's authentic specimen. Griffith’s example is identical with Blume's; but there 
may be a doubt whether he did not collect it at Malacca, not in Assam. Griffith’s 
