143 



5- Lastrea felix-mas Presl. 



Stipes tufted, scaly. Fronds up to four feet 

 long, one foot broad, pinnate-bipinnate ; pinnae 

 lanceolate, cut down nearly to the rachis into 

 blunt, almost entire, crenate, or finely serrate 

 segments, lower pinnae sometimes reduced. 

 Texture almost leathery. Rachis scaly. Sur- 

 faces sometimes naked, sometimes covered 

 with hair-like scales. Veins forked or the lower 

 ones pinnate. Sori on the back of the veinlets. 

 Indusium kidney-shaped, naked. 



The following two varieties occur in the 

 Presidency : 



Var. clongata Bedd. ' Lower pinnae not re- 

 duced ; bi-tripinnate or rarely pinnate ; ultimate 

 segments generally narrowed upwards from a 

 broad base, rachises glabrous or scaly.' 



Distribution : Bombay Presidency Maha- 

 bleshwar. 



Southern India, on the western mountains, 

 4,000-6,000 feet ; Ceylon ; Himalayas and 

 Khasya, 5,000-9,000 feet. 



Var. cochleata Bedd. Fronds of two kinds. 

 Sterile ones pinnate, almost bipinnate, lower 

 pinnules lobed. Fertile fronds bipinnate with 

 pinnules much contracted and covered with 



