THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 87 



N.-W. P.: D. B. BUt.— Mussooree and Landour 0-7500', everywhere, on rocks and 

 trees ; B. Garh., Mrs. Fisher ; Kumann— Jagesar 60C0', S. and W.; Naini Tal ; Kali 

 Vy. 9-10,000', Duthie ; Goriganga Valley 7000', MacLeod. 



Distrib.— Asia : N. Ind. (Him.) Sikkim and Bhotan ; Assam— Jakpho Mt. 

 9000', Clarke : China — Yunnan, Belavay, Henry. 



Besides the difference in the scales of rhizome between this species and 

 P. lachnopas, distinguishing characters of microrrhizoma not mentioned by 

 Mr. Clarke are— the brown stipes, and darker brown rhachis ; the broader, 

 shorter, and rather stouter frond ; pinna? much fewer — generally only 15-25 

 pairs — and broader ; and sori often oblong or oval. At Mussooree this fern 

 grows to a higher level than P. lachnopus. The rhizome does not strike me as 

 being very small. 



17. P. argutum, Wall. ; Syn. Fil. 511 ; C. R. 551. GoniophleUmn 

 argutum, Wall, (under Polypodium), Bedd. H. B. 323. 



N.-W. P. : B. B. Bist.— Mussooree 0500', Hope 1885 ; T. Gar7i.— Nag Tiba Mt. 80C0' 

 Mackinnons 8000' ; B. Garli. 6-7000', Duthie 1885, Mrs. Fisher ; Kumaun, R. Bl. ; 

 B:nsar, on trees, 7000', S. and W. 1848, and Major Madden ; Naini Tal 5-8000', on 

 trees, Hope 1861, Davidson 1875 ; between Gini and Munskiari 7-8000', above Gini 

 6-7000', and Gori Vy. 7-8000', Duthie 1884 ; above Lonarkhet 7500', Trotter 1891 ; 

 Ranti and Kala Muni Ridge 7-10,000', MacLeod 1893. 



Disteib.— Asia : N. Ind. (Him.) Nepal, Wallich 1829 ; Sikkim and Bhotan, 

 4-9000', very common ; Assam — Khasia. 



Mr. Clarke gives — : " Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bhotan, very common " as 

 habitats for this species, but I cannot find any specimens from the westward 

 of Tehri Garhwal in the N.-W. Provinces, nor did Mr. Trotter ; and Mr. 

 Blanford is silent as to the Simla Region. The Jaunsar Tract of the Dehra 

 Dun District also seems a blank. 



My plant from Mussooree is from the only known station in, or within, two 

 days' journey of that place : it must be 10 or 15 miles from Nag Tiba Mt. in 

 a straight line across the deep valley of the Aglar River. I found the fern in 

 Mussooree on one branch of one Rhododendron {arooreum) tree only, and left 

 most of the rhizome and fronds on it, and it was still there in 1895, but did not 

 appear to have spread to other trees. P. argutum was pretty common in 

 Naini Tal in 1861, on the Sher-ka-danda side of the Lake, high up. 



Subgenus Niphobolus, Auct. 



19. P. adnasceilS, Sw. ; Syn. FiL 349; C. R. 552. Niphololus 

 fifhiascens, Sw. (under Poly podium), Bedd, H. B. 324. 



N.-W. P. : B. Garh. 3-4000', P. W. Mackinnon 1881 ; Kumaun— Bamganga R. 2500. 

 S. and W.; 4-5000' and 3-4000', Duthie 1884 ; Sarju Vy. 3500', Trotter 1891 ; "Gori- 

 ganga Valley and elsewhere, " 5-8000', MacLeod 1893. 



Distrib. — Asia : "Throughout N. India in moist climates, 1 ' 1 Clarke. Himalaya— up 

 to 5000' and even 8000' : " extending over the plains to Calcutta and the sea-face of 

 the ISoonderbun " ; Assam— Kachar, Mishmi Griffith, Manipur, Watt. 8. Ind. Burma — 



