11 JO URNAL, BOMB A Y NA TDEA L HISTOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



with Mr. McDonell, I detected the Chamba specimen in bis possession ; and 

 since then a few other specimens have turned up. Instead of making this a 

 variety of the common Indian fern, B. lanuginosum, Wall., I bow to authority, 

 and give it as B. virgimanum, Sw., because the fertile segment of the frond 

 separates just below the base of the sterile part, and the cutting is sharper than 

 in B. lanuginosum, and the texture is not woolly. It is one of the rarest of 

 Indian ferns. 



Now, in finally revising this article, and haviug had the advantage of studying 

 well authenticated specimens of the American plant, I am all the more satis- 

 fied that it is quite distinct from Wallich's B. lanvginosum ; but I am not so 

 sure as I was that the above noted Indian specimens are the same as the 

 American plant. More material is desirable. 



4. B lanuginosum, Wall. Cat. 48. B. vfrginianum, Sw., &.,B. lanugi- 

 nosum, Wall. Syn. Fil. 448 ; B. virginianum, Sw., C. E. 588 {B. lanuginosum, 

 Wall., given as a synonym.) B. virginianum, L. (under Osmunda), var. 

 B. lanuginosum, (sp.), Wall. Cat. 48, Bedd. H. B. 471. 



Punjab : Chamha State— McDonell, in List ; Simla Reg. — Simla : not 

 uncommon, Hope, Blanford, Trotter, Bliss. 



N.-W. P. : D. D. Dist., Mussooree, in various places, 45-7000', Duthie, Mackin- 

 nons, Hope, A. Campbell ; T. Garh. — Jumna Vy. 6-7000', Duthie near Sainjni, 

 5000', Gamble 1898 ; Kumaun : Wallich ; Gajur Pas?, Davidson : Naini Tal 

 6000', Hope 1861 ; Almora 5-5500', Madden, S. & W., 1848, Hope 1861 ; between 

 Dandihath and Karela 5-6000', Duthie 1884 j 6-8000 ," common ", MacLeod 1893. 

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

 Clarke; Assam— Khasia Dist., 4-6000, very common, Clarke; Manipur 5500'. 

 S. Ind.— at the higher elevations on the W. Mts. Ceylon — above Newera Elya, 

 China — Yunnan and Hupeh Henry ; Yunnan Hancock. 



The distinctions between B. virginiammi and B. lanuginosum are thus stated 

 by Beddome :— " In the typical American plant the fertile branch arises from 

 the base of the sterile portion, and the latter is quite glabrous : in the Indian 

 plant the fertile branch always springs from well above the base, and the 

 sterile portion is more or less hairy." These two distinctions being, with rare 

 exceptions, coincident, are corroborative evidence of permanent and, I should 

 say, specific differences. I see a few soft hairs on some specimens of B. virgini- 

 anum, but nothing amounting to wooliness, 



Clarke refers to Milde's monogram on Botrychntm, and to his Fil. Europe, 

 191-209, in which that author divides the genus into two main sections, viz., 

 (1) Calls of the epidermis straight : (2) Cel's of the epidermis flexuose ; secondary 

 pinnae of the lowest pair of pinnaa anadromous : and he (Clarke) says that 

 the second section contains B. virginianum (the American type plant 

 only) ; the first sectiou comprising, among other spacies, B. lanuginosum t 

 Wall, which Milde and Prautl both hold to be a good species, 



