202 



South India, Anamallay forests, and on the 

 western mountains ; Malay Peninsula America 

 from United States southward to Brazil ; 

 New Caledonia ; Tropical Africa. 



4. Ophioglossum fibrosum Schum. 



Rhizome large, round, tuberous, with nume- 

 rous fibrous roots. Stipe very short with the 

 sterile segment close to the base, the latter 

 i J~3 inches long, up to I inch broad, lanceolate, 

 acute or obtuse. Texture thick and fleshy. 

 Venation indistinct except when dry, reticulate 

 with free and often forked veinlets in the 

 meshes ; midrib prominent, consisting ot a 

 singh main vein or of 2-3 strong central veins 

 which run parallel and close to each other and 

 fork and disappear near the apex of the barren 

 segment. Fertile spike iJ-2 inches long on a 

 foot-stalk 4-5 inches long. [Plate XV.] 



Distribution : Bombay Presidency Khan- 

 dala, on rocks and gravelly ground. 



South India, Anamallay teak forests 2,000- 

 3,000 feet ; Ceylon. Tropical America ; 

 Guinea Coast ; Ascension Island. 



GENUS LIII. HELMINTHOSTACHYS KAULF. 

 (Deriv. Helminthos, a worm ; stachys, a spike.) 



