PTBRI8. 161 



pinnae 3-5 subradiate linear sessile slightly tapering below 

 much and narrowly acuminated the sterile portions coarsely 

 and deeply spinuloso-serrate especially towards the apex, 

 involucres rather broad subintramarginal membranaceous 

 close-pressed, veins simple, stipites numerous tufted very 

 slender and as well as the midribs of the pinnae (very pro- 

 minent beneath) stramineous. (Tab. CXXX. A.) 



Hal). Dry sheltered rocks, Eastern Nepal, and Sikkim-Himalaya, elev. about 

 9000 feet, Drs. Hooker and Thomson. — Different as this may appear at first sight 

 from the ordinary and many of the extraordinary forms of Pteris Cretica, it is 

 nevertheless of the same group with that species, and very nearly allied to it, and 

 could I see any variation, any passage, from what I have described as the normal 

 form, towards Pt. Cretica, I would not have ventured to place it in the rank of a 

 species ; but all Dr. Hooker's specimens have the remarkably graceful slender cha- 

 racter represented in our figure ; the pinnae spring from the apex of the slender 

 pale-coloured stipes ; the number of pinnae is usually five, sometimes four or three. 

 When three, the pinnae are alike, and rise from one common point ; when four, each 

 is geminate or united at the base into two pairs ; when five, the central one is 

 simple, and the lateral pairs are geminate : and it is this character of the lower 

 pair of pinnaj being compound or partite which shows the affinity with Pt. Cretica, 

 to which may be added another common to the two species : the very coarse and 

 deep serratures, each serrature terminated with a spine or bristle. The caudex 

 is generally rather short, but horizontal and creeping, bearing very numerous sti- 

 pites from the upper side, and numerous descending, slender, but wiry roots 

 below. A slight variety may be noticed with the serratures of the pinna; muti- 

 cous. 



6. Pt. (Eupteris) joe//Md</a, Pr.; 1^ to 2 and even 3 feet 

 high, caudex short thick scarcely creeping, frond a foot and 

 more long sometimes quite simple (Tab. CXXIX. B.) broad- 

 lanceolate mostly ternate or pinnate ovate in circumscription 

 coriaceo-membranaceous bright-green lucid (rather than pel- 

 lucid), pinnae 3 to 11 or more, generally broad (an inch to 1^) 

 6-10 inches long, entire or rarely subserrated at the very 

 acuminated apex, the margin often crisped sessile or the 

 upper ones sometimes decurrent generally all entire or lowest 

 pair bipartite, veins simple or forked close almost horizontal, 

 involucres quite marginal narrow, stipes very variable in 

 length stramineous or tawny smooth or subscabrous. (Tab. 

 CXXIX. B. represents only the simple-fronded form.) — 

 Presl, Reliq. Hank. p. 55. Aff. Sp. Pterid. p. 10, in note. Pt. 

 nervosa? Wall. Cat. n. 96 {not Tkunb.). Pt. crispata. Wall. 

 MS. Pt. serrata. Wall. MS. 



Hab. India; Luzon, Hcenke, Cuming, n. 85. Irawaddy, Wallich. Mishmee 

 and Khasia, Griffith; Chittagong and Cachar, etc.. Hooker and Thomson. As- 

 sam, Simons. Nepal, Kumaon, Sylhet, Wallich, Col. Bates. — This Fern is briefly 

 described only by Presl (I.e.), from sterile specimene, as it would appear, quoted 

 by Agardh, nominally retained as a species by J. Smith and Fee, and Cumiug's 



