2. POLYPODIACE^. [19. Pteris. 



B. Lowest vein from each costule, or at least some of them, 

 anastomosing with that from the next costule. All 

 pinnae deeply pinnatiM : — 

 Veinlets reaching the margin, lobes entire . . .4. biaurita. 



Veinlets not reaching the margin, terminating in dots, 

 margin of barren portions of frond or barren fronds 

 crenate ........ . geminata 



II. Fronds not tufted, 2-4 pinnate with many pinnae. Indusium (p. 1204). 



double, one introrse, the other extrorse . . . .5. aquilina. 



1. P. longifolia, L. 



A densely tufted fern with tip of rhizome and base of stipes densely 

 clothed with linear acuminate brown or yellow scales. Stipes very 

 short (in my specimens), 6-12" long according to Beddome. Frond 

 simply pinnate, the rhachis somewhat scaly or hairy, clothed from 

 base to tip with simple pinnae about 10-30 each side, which increase 

 in length from the base upwards and end in a terminal pinna longer 

 than all the others, lowest pinnae often ovate or oblong often mere 

 auricles, upper linear, lower cordate truncate or auricled at the base, 

 especially on the basiscopic side, uppermost 3-8" long by •2-- 3" broad. 

 Sori in a continuous band down both sides of the fertile pinnse, with 

 a well-marked pale indusium, annuli golden yellow. 



Old walls, Purneah ! Prain {Beng. PI.) says " in all the provinces," but there 

 is no specimen in the Cal. Herb, or Kew from any district witliin our area. Fr. 

 Nov.-Dec. 



2. P. cretica, L. 



Stipes 6-12" long, erect, naked, or with lanceolate scales near the 

 base, straw-coloured. Fronds (exc. stipes) 6-12" long, sub-2-pinnate, 

 the lowest or lowest 2-3, rarely more, pairs of pinnse having one acces- 

 sory secondary pinna near its base. Pinnse few. Primary pinnse or 

 primary lobes of the double pinnse linear 3-8" long by •\1--1" wide 

 acute or obtuse, barren pinnse usually wider than the fertile, and as well 

 as the barren portions of the fertile frond closely sharply serrate. Veins 

 forked and simple, often very close together, diverging at a wide angle 

 from the costa. Sori in a continuous band on the margins except 

 near the base and apex, indusium distinct. 



Balasore Hills, Blandford ! A commonly cultivated fern. Fr. all the year. 



3. P. pellucida, Pr. 



A larger stouter plant than P. cretica. Stipes 1 ft. or more. Fronds 

 12-18" long, simply pinnate or occasionally lowest forked, pinnse 

 usually in 3-6 sessile pairs, entire or serrate, upper slightly decurrent, 

 lower often 8" by 1", surface glossy. 



Singbhum ! Santal Parg., Gamble ! Fr. Dec. 



Although of different appearance it is, as Clarke says, only a large cretica with 

 pinnse often 1" broad and usually simple. Baker also says not satisfactorily dis- 

 tingmshed from cretica. The young fronds are often digitate, the old barren ones 

 sometimes superficially resemble Nephrodium moulmeinense. 



4. P. biaurita, L. Syn. Campteria biaurita, Bedd. 



A large handsome fern with fronds (including the stipes) 3-6 ft. 

 long and up to 2-2-5 ft. broad, tufted on an erect caudex 6-12" high, 

 simply pinnate and pinnatifid except at the base, the lowest pinna 



77 1203 



