11. DiPLAziuM.] 2. POLYPODIACE^. 



mostJy 2-pinnate fronds 3-5 ft. long, including the 1-2 ft. -long pale 

 slightly scaly stipes which is more or less 4-angled and grooved. 

 Scales dense near the rhizome lanceolate-acuminate, ciliolate with 

 papillae. Barren fronds almost dimorphic, either simply pinnate with 

 the pinnae 2-3-5" long or very broad and 2-pinnate (on same plant), 

 with the pinnae 6-12'' long alternate and rather distant, fertile fronds 

 similar to the second form, secondary pinnae 1-4" long by -4- -7" 

 wide in middle, lobed J-^ way down or only notched, basal lobes 

 often much longer than others, margin crenate- serrate. Vein (one 

 to each lobe) with 5-6 obHque veinlets, of which 2-3 meet in an included 

 intermediate vein (much as in Neiolirodium); occasionally also there is 

 a little anastomosis near the edges of the lobes. Sori linear -OS-- 12" 

 long, one to each venule except the 1-2 terminal. 



Frequent in marshy places. Purneah ! Singbhum ! Eanchi (3000 ft.) ! 

 Palamau, near rivers ! Mayurbhanj, 3500 ft. ! Fr. Dec-Jan. 



Fronds more or less puberulous and papillose beneath, somethnes pubescent on 

 the costse, slightly scented, the hairs apparently slightly glandular. The scales 

 are moderately thin-walled as in Athyrium with "lumen slightly coloiu-ed, all cells 

 very narrow, but without any apparent midrib. 



The young fronds are cooked and eaten. 



12. BLECHNUM, L. 



Rhizome usually erect. Stipes with 2 strong and several smaller 

 vascular bundles ; scales Avith thin-walled cells. Fronds tufted 

 uniform or .slightly dimorphic, simply pinnate or pinnatitid ; veins in 

 the barren fronds all simple free and parallel or uniting in a marginal 

 vein only, or forked ; in the fertile frond similar but with a transverse 

 veinlet (sometimes very obscure) running parallel to and close to the 

 costa and connecting up the veins usually just at their point of forking. 

 Sori forming a continuous line each side of, close to the costa covering 

 the connecting veinlet, with a continuous introrse indusium. 



1. B. orientale, L. 



A large fern with an erect stout caudex clothed with fibrillose dark 

 brown scales. Fronds up to 4 or 5 ft. in length, simply pinnate. 

 Pinnae sessile entire linear with caudate tips, longer attaining 12-18" 

 long by -5- -9" wide, uppermost only with decurrent bases (making 

 the top of the frond pinnatifid), others with base rounded on the 

 basiscopic half-cuneate on the acroscopic side ; veins very close 

 parallel meeting and slightly upcurved in the margin, a few only 

 forked. Sori forming a continuous line from the base nearly to apex 

 of pinna. 



Very common near streams. Piuneah ! Singbhum ! Eanchi ! Palamau, 

 Wood ! Mayurbhanj ! Fr. all the year round. 

 The lowest pinna; are reduced to small rounded auricles on the stipes. 



13. GYMNOGRAMME, Desv. 



(Includes Neurogramme part, Diels.) 



Fronds various, not articulate to the rhizome, one-several-pinnate, 

 the under-surface more or less thickly hairy often with white waxy 



1198 



