THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 537 



No. 340, A. a^pendiculatum, Wall, in the Linnean Society's Herbarium — 

 " Aspid. No. 29 : Legi in Napalia 1821," named by Mr. Clarke — A", canujn 

 Baker, v. proUxum. Baker, is iV. repens ; there is no rhizome, but the frond is 

 suddenly diminished to mere short linear auricles, not butterfly-shaped : one 

 frond is auricled for 2 If in. 



Mr. Blanford never gave N. caniim, Baker, as other than a synonym of 

 jy. proUxum, and io his published paper (Joum. Asiat. Soc. Bengnl, 1888) he 

 said — " I include herewith the forms from Simla that have been refen-ed to 

 N. canum, the type of which is a specimen of unknown origin, gi'own at Kew, 

 and having sub-margmal sori." (I may here remark that there are several 

 pot plants in the Kew Temperate Fern-house ticketed A^. canum, which are 

 downy enough, but they have not creeping rhizomes and have stipes densely 

 tufted as Baker's description says.) But m theu- joint " Supplementary Note on 

 tlie Ferns of Northern India," read before the Lmn. Soc, 3rd November 1887, 

 Mr. Clarke and Mr. Baker gave " 28. JVephrodium canum, Hook and 

 Baker ; C, B. Clarke in Trans. Linn. Soc, ser. 2, Bot,, Vol. I, p. 515. 

 Simla, H. Blanford ; rhizomate horizontale brevi : sed in A^. prolixo type. 

 C. B. Clarke No.44652 rhizoma omnino simile videri potest." This shows 

 that the Simla specimen from Blanford had a creeping rhizome, because 

 Clarke's No. 44652 has ; though the entry seems mtended to confirm the 

 remarks made by Mr. Clarke in his " Review," 1880, m Avliich he gave 

 N. canum as a distinct species (No, 6) with tufted stipes — " I fear this Ls only 



a variety of N. proUxum.'^ "I can find no good distinction." 



Mr. Clarke then gave AspkUum appmdicvJatum, Wall, as a synonym of 

 A^. canum, and remarked — " Of A. nppendicidatnm, "Wallich collected 

 a large series ; the type sheet in his Herbariiun is N. canum. Baker 

 type." 



Of N. proUxum, Baker, to which he attributed N. canum Baker, and 

 A^. ochthodes^ Kze., as synonyms, Mr. Blanfoi'd wrote in an early paper, which 

 was only privately distributed : — 



" Not micommon in ravines below 6,000 feet." ..." It differs in some 

 respects from the descriptions of Clarke and Beddome. The caudex is 

 decumbent, or shortly creeping, not erect." ..." The lowest pair of 

 pinuffi (sometimes two or tlu-ee paire) shorter, then suddenly reduced to 

 auricles." ..." What the A^. canum may be, collected by Thomson 

 and Edgeworth m the neighboiuhood of Simla, unless herbaceous, 

 glandless specimens of A^. proUxum, I will not venture to surmise." . . . 

 " I think it probable then that the Simla specimens of A'', canum are 

 sunply A^. prciluum" 



