ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 



I 



PLATE 



i. 



HELMINTHOSTACHYS ZEYLANICA Hooker et B 



auer, 



OPHIOGLOSSACEAE 



HELMINTHOSTACHYS ZEYLANICA Hooker et Bauer in Gen. Fil. t. 47 (1840); HK. in Card. 



Ferns t. 28; Bedd. in Ferns S. Ind. t. 69; HK. in 2nd. Cent. Ferns t. 44; Christ 

 in Farnkaut. Erde 365; Diels in Nat. Pfl. Fam. 1. 4. 472; C. Chr. Ind. 344 

 (1906); v. A. R. in Malay. Ferns 777 (1908). 



Osmunda zeylanica Linn. Sp. PI. 2: 1063 (1753). 

 Botrychium zeylanicum Sw. in Schrad. Jour. 1800, 2:111 (1801). 

 Helminthostachys dulcis Klf. in Enum. 28, t. 1. fig. 1 (1822). 

 Botryopteris mexicana in Rel. Haenk. 1: 76, t. 12. fig. 1 (1825) 

 Helminthostachys mexicana Spring (1827). 



Rhizome thick, fleshy, creeping, glabrous; stipes erect, 20-30 cm. long, greenish; 

 sterile segment palmately pinnate, usually in 3 principal divisions, which are shortly 

 petiolate, forked or pinnate; the ultimate segments lanceolate, 7-15 cm. long, 2-4 cm. 

 broad, acuminate, the edge slightly toothed or entire, the base more or less cuneate; 

 veins distinct, erect-patent, pinnate, usually forked; texture thin herbaceous; fertile spike 

 solitary, arising from the base of sterile segment, 7-20 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, on a 

 peduncle of about the same length. 



Distribution: Australia, New Caledonia, India, Ceylon, Philipines, Queensland, 

 Cochin-China, Formosa; China: Hainan. 



A fairly common fern in Tropical Asia, inhabiting damp or swampy places; from 

 China it was collected only in Hainan. 



Plate 1. Fig. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. A portion of spike (x 20). 2. The same with 

 sporangia, showing the manner of dehiscence (x 52). 



