528 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



I dedicate this beautiful species to Colonel Beddomc, who has done so much 

 for ferns, and who has shown me that it is undesciibed. It is the high-level 

 plant which is not got in the parts of the Himalaya most frequented by Euro- 

 peans, and consequently has been seen growing, or noticed, by few collectors. 

 It can never be mistaken, in growth at least, for the low-level plants, so com- 

 mon in the outer range of the Himalaya, be these D. pulchra, or D. psendo- 

 cystopteris, or D. Delavmji. Ihe fronds are never deltoid, or even subdeltoid, in 

 shape, as are those of D. pulchra and D. jjseudoojstopteris^ and the stipes 

 are generally comparatively short, and, like the rhachis, pinkish in colom', 

 which tinge gives a character to the plant. The large, broad scales of 

 the rhizome, suggesting pale-coloured raisin skins, are very characteristic. 

 It is sometimes difficult to separate the members of this group by their 

 ultimate cutting, as that seems to vary with age of fronds and degree of their 

 fertility; but I consider the difference in shape of fronds, m scales, in colour, and 

 in habitats to be quite sufficient distinction. Blanford, who called this plant 

 D. pulchrn^ Don, said — " The typical form, distinguished by its red rhachis, 

 obtuse segments and ovate scales of tho rhizome, is abundant on trees on 

 Kamalhuri and Hatu (Mts.) above 8,500 ft., but does not occur lower." 

 Genus 12— CHEII-ANTHES, Sw. 



6. Clieilanthes duMa, n. sp.—Caud. erect, undistingiiishable — hidden 

 by the numerous stipes ; st. densely tufted, stout, round, about as long as the 

 fronds, when young — thickly covered with linear-lanceolate hah-pointed scales 

 with dark centres, which diminish in size and become paler in colour upwards, 

 and are there mixed with small, pale-brown, chaffy scales and tomentum ; when 

 old, less densely clothed, and then appearing glabrous and almost black be- 

 tween the scales; fr. lanceolate, sometimes 1 ft. and upwards in length, puanate ; 

 pinn. piimatifid nearly to the rhachis, lower pinase as long as or longer than 

 those next above, and with lower sides enlarged ;//., of two sorts, (1) — the broader 

 herbaceous in texture, with pinnse and segments broad, destitute of powder 

 beneath, secondary rhachises and costse with a few, narrow, pale-brown scales, 

 but no tomentum ; invol. distinctly separate at tips of veins, often not 

 extending to apices of segments, and often without sori, (2) — the naiTower 

 coriaceous iji texture, with pinnsfi and segments shorter and narrow ; rhachises 

 and costse densely clothed with pale-brown to nearly white broad and also long 

 chaffy scales, and tomentum, and under surface of lamina completely covered with 

 white powder ; invol broad, confluent, all round the segments, much lacerate 

 i>ud ciliated. (Plate. II.) 



N.-W. P. : V. D. Did.— On tlic cnrt road fiom Rajpur to Mussoorce, at about 4,000 

 ft. altitude. 



