146 A NEW LASTREA FROM ASSAM. 



lowest pair of pinnae very unequal- sided, being eared (like Pteris 

 quadriaurita Retz.) by prolongation of several pinnules on lower 

 side to 2 in. in length, these pinnules being nearly f ths of an inch 

 wide and pinnatifid nearly to the rachis ; lowest pair of pinnules 

 of each pinna of lowest three-quarters of frond cordate and not 

 decurrent at base, and those of lowest pinnae almost stalked ; in 

 upper part of frond eostce of lowest pinnules on lower side of pinna 

 springing from main and not from secondary rachis ; texture 

 herbaceous ; secondary rachises and costae of pinnules pubescent, 

 especially above, and near main rachis clothed like it, but chiefly 

 underneath, with black-brown hair-like scales, replaced upwards on 

 pinnae by adpressed dark-brown linear glands ; costae of pinnules 

 and the veins above furnished also with small pale-coloured narrow 

 scales or glands, and the whole upper surface of lamina closely 

 covered with very minute short hair-like glands ; veins in upper 

 portion of frond all simple, 5-6 on either side of a pinnule, lower 

 down (where pinnules are lobed), veins of lower lobes forked ; son 

 medial on the veins, and sometimes also on the veinlets ; involucres 

 persistent, shrivelling up from point of attachment. 



This description has been written from a single specimen, con- 

 sisting of one frond, attached to a section of apes of rhizome, with 

 another young curled-up frond attached, which is densely clothed 

 with the characteristic black-brown hairs, — received from Mr. 

 Gustav Mann, Conservator of Forests, Assam, and collected by 

 him at Dighai (or Digbai), Makum Forest, Lakkimpur, Upper 

 Assam, in March, 1889. 



The noteworthy features of the fern are the great and almost 

 disproportionate length of stipe, the dark-hairiness of stipe and 

 rachises, and the unequalsideness and compound division of the 

 lowest pair of pinna? (if this be a constant feature), as contrasted 

 with the narrow shape and simple cutting of the rest of the pinnae. 



The above description was sent to Mr. Mann for approval, and 

 in returning it without alteration he said, in a letter dated from 

 camp in the Garo Hills, that he was away from his collection and 

 should probably not return to head-quarters for five months, and 

 therefore could not refer to his other specimens of the fern ; but 

 he said that the description was near enough, and added : — "I have 

 always considered it a distinct species. It is very constant, and I 

 have collected it in three different localities very far apart, namely: 

 Dighai, in Upper Assam ; the southern base of the Khasi Hills, 

 near the Sylhet district ; and in Cachar. I have never distributed 

 this fern, because I considered it new, and only sent it to you. 

 One of the reasons why I considered it not a form of Filix-mas* 

 if these can be called so at all, is that it grows, speaking broadly, 

 in the plains, generally at or near the foot of hills, at no elevation, 

 or at any rate not more than about 500 ft. above the level of the 

 sea, whilst all the so-called forms of Filix-mas are temperate ferns, 

 growing at 5000 ft. altitude, and more in this part of India. I 



* A well-known authority, who had seen a specimen, had named it N. Filix- 

 mas var. 



