7. OPHIOGLOSSACE.^. [3. Helminthostachys. 



as such by Prof. D' Almeida (loe. cit.), but agrees better with the specie? called 

 nudicaule in the Kew Herb, which is Baker's yiudicarde. It differs from 0. vulgatum 

 in the very long slender peduncle, much longer than the stem below the frond, in 

 the thinner texture of the frond, more slender spike and more tuberous rootstock,. 

 but possibly it is not distinct. 



2. BOTRYCHIUM, 8w. 



Erect terrestrial ferns with small tuberous rootstock, fronds 2-forked 

 with the barren portion of the frond foliaceous, usually primarily 2- 

 chotomously divided and 2-3-pinnatifidly compound, rarely simply 

 pinnate, venation flabellate free. Fertile fork of frond stipitate from 

 the base of the barren portion, consisting of a panicle-like soriferous 

 receptacle branched similarly to the barren but without obvious lamina, 

 covered on the segments with small globose coriaceous capsules or 

 sporangia which dehisce transversely. 



1. B. daucifolium, Wall. 



A handsome plant 1 • 5-2 ft. high. Barren half of frond deltoid 

 about 1 ft. diam. ; primary divisions of blade 2-chotomous or main, 

 rhachis straight and then appearing as primary pinnae ; primary seg- 

 ments or pinnae pinnate ancl pinnatifid below, pinnatifid above (in 

 our plant, sometimes 2-pinnate), lower pinnae much the largest ; 

 ultimate segments oblong crenate-serrulate (in our plant ; sometimes 

 lanceolate-oblong and "finely toothed," Beddome). Panicle 3-4-5 

 long, 3-pinnate, on a stipes 6" long and exceeding the barren part of 

 the frond. 



In evergreen forest close to our area (Jalpaguri district) ! Fr. Nov. -Deo. 



3. HELMINTHOSTACHYS, Kanlf. 

 Fertile frond bifurcate, with a barren foliaceous portion and a 

 sporiferous panicle. Barren portion primarily 3-chotomous or with 

 one pair of pinnae, each division pinnately subdigitately or pedately 

 divided, veins forked from a central costa with free parallel branches. 

 Fertile portion a stipitate distichous spiciform panicle, consisting of 

 numerous close verticillate pedicellate tufts of sporangia terminated 

 by a crest-like appendage. Sporangia fleshy-coriaceous sessile, globose, 

 inverse, bursting extrorsely and longitudinally from the base upwards, 

 valves hemispherical. 



1. H. zeylanica, Hk. 



Plant about 12-18" high, looking superficially like an aroid (without 

 the panicle). Rhizome thick fleshy creeping. Stipes 7-12". Barren 

 fork of frond 4-6" diam., primarily 3-partite, with the segments sessile 

 or shortly stalked and again forked or pinnatifid, ultimate segments 

 oblong or linear-oblong 2-5-4" long by -5-1" wide, acute obtuse or 

 acuminate, denticulate or serrulate, nerves numerous close parallel 

 forked. Fertile part of frond -25- -3" diam., shorter than or exceeding 

 the barren, its peduncle about as long as the dense spiciform portion 

 or spike sometimes 5" with peduncle only 3". Sporangia globose 

 •04- -05" diam. 



Among moist bamboo clumps, Bengal, Wall. ! Bihar, Beng. PI., but J can find 

 no specimens from Bihar. Fr. Aug. 



1215 



