85 



pinnae simple and usually sessile with the 

 wings decurrent on the rachis, the lower usually 

 stalked and cleft down to the base into 2-3 

 pinnules, margin serrate, fertile segments 

 narrower, and serrate where barren. Surfaces 

 naked. Rachis naked. Texture leathery. Veins 

 simple or forked, closely parallel. Sori continu- 

 ous on the margin. [Plate VII.] 



Distribution : Madras Presidency, very 

 common from sea level up to 8,000 feet; Bengal 

 Presidency, very general up to 9,000 feet ; 

 Ceylon ; Burma. Africa, Tropical America, 

 South Europe and elsewhere. 



A garden fern. 



Var. albolineata (Hort.) This is a garden 

 variety having broad white bands down the 

 centre of the pinnae. 



3. Pteris ensiformts Burm. 



Rhizome short, creeping. Stipe up to 10 

 inches long, naked. Fronds of two sorts, up 

 to 12 inches long by 3-6 inches broad; 

 fertile fronds with lateral pinnae either simple, 

 forked, trifid, narrow, pinnules linear, acuminate, 

 more compound, about J-inch broad, segments 

 very narrow, ^-inch broad, almost sessile with 

 lower wing continuous on the rachis. Sterile 



