180 PTERIS. 



Obs. vi. p. 38. Willd. Sp. PI. p. 385. Ag. Sp. Gen. Pterid. 

 p. 24. Pt. nemoralis. Hook. Gen. Fil. t. 54 a. Pt. biaurita, 

 var., Siv. Syn. Fil. p. 98. Pt. calcarata, Bory in Bel. Voy. 

 p. 42 (fide Ag.J. 



Hab. Ceylon and East Indies (" v. sp. in Herb. Retz," Agardh). But of this 

 protean and wide-spread species we sliall do best, perhaps, to notice the varia- 

 tions, and such synonyms as we can authenticate, under the following localities : — 



Oriental. — Ceylon, Gardner, Mrs. Gen. Walker, Dr. Ma.rivell, varying much 

 (as in other countries) in size of frond, and number of pinnaj, and in the nature 

 of the apex of these pinnffi; sometimes the segments gradually form a serrated 

 acute point, sometimes the terminal one is singularly elongated, 2-4 inches, form- 

 ing a long Cauda. Dr. Maxwell's specimens are proliferous from the veins on 

 the under side of several of the segments in a very remarkable manner; or can 

 these productions be parasites ? These do not ajipear to become frondose or even 

 herbaceous, but are tufted and branched so as, in the herbarium, very much to 

 resemble in size and appearance dried specimens of the well-known Alga, Lau- 

 rencia obtusa, but of a dark-brown colour. From Ceylon we have received, both 

 from Gardner, n. 11.33, and from Mrs. Gen. JJ'alker, a remarkable abnormal state 

 of this species, having only the middle of the pinnae pinnatifid, and this in a very 

 irregular and unequal manner, the segments becoming confluent into a tail-like 

 point, and below confluent and more or less decurrent to the base, Madras Pe- 

 ninsula, Dr. JViyht, n. 87, 4-5 feet high, the pinna; with tail-like points 4 inches 

 long : Cochin, A'w. E. Johnson, with long, very acuminated points ; Cotalam, G. 

 Thomson, n. 140 b; Concan, Mr. Laic; Nilgbiri, Mac Ivor, n. 22, G. Thomson, 

 n. 140 b. Pnnjaub, Rajaori iMountaius (stipes red, subscabrous), Jacquemont, 

 n. 1272. Scinde, Dr. Stocks, frond subpellucid. Nepal, stipes reddish and sca- 

 brous (Pt. aspericaulis, Wall. Cat. n. 107 ; Aff. Sp. Gen. Fil. p. 22. Pt. pecti- 

 nata, Don, Prodr. p. 15). Simla, Col. Bates, Dr. Thomson, n. 143 a. Kumaon, 

 Strachey and Winterbottom, n. 6, 7000 feet elev., numerous close-placed pinna\ 

 Sikkim, 3-11,000 feet, Drs. Hooker and Thomson, n. 143 b, 146, and 143 c, 

 stipes very rough ; Rating valley, Dr. Hooker, n. 143 b, spinules cojiious, even on 

 the costa of the segments, n. 139 c. Bhotan, Griffith, n. 2813, stipes very rough. 

 Gowhatty, Assam, Mr. Simons, with caudiform points, 2-4 inches long, slightly 

 serrated, and from the Miku hills, with the same proliferous character as noticed 

 under Ceylon specimens. Chittagong, very spuiulose, even on the costa of the 

 rather long (inch and a half) narrow segments of the pinnae, Drs. Hooker and 

 Thomson. JIalay Islands, Luzon, Cuming, n. 79, large, pinnae numerous, Pt. 

 spinescens, Presl, Rcliq. Hank., according to J. Sm. ; Ag. Sp. Gen. Pterid. j). 30, 

 note. Luzon, Cuming, n. 69, pinnae 7, remote, cauda equal in length to the pinnae, 

 upper part of stipes and principal rachis ebeneous. J. Smith, in Hook. Journ. Bot. 

 iii. p. 405, names this Pt. Presliana, Ag. (but I find no such species described), 

 and Pt.attenuata, Pr. (not Sw.), and this last is a very dubious species. Cuming, 

 n. "24," Luzon, in my Herb., common form. Java, Mr. Millet, nearly allied to 

 the last-mentioned, but pinna; more numerous, and cauda shorter in proportion, 

 and Penang, Dr. Wallich, n. lOO; both these are Pt. Blumcana, Ag. Sp. Gen. 

 Pterid. p. 22, and, according to the same autlior, " Pt. 7iemoralis, Bl. En. Fil. 

 Jav. p. 21 1 ; Pt. hamulosa and nemoralis (in part), ^yall., and Pt. scabra, Gaud. .'" 

 Borneo, Mr. Barber, n. 322, small, scarcely a foot high, including the stipes ; 

 that and the rachises are very black and glossy. Singajiore, Sir W. Norris, -pinnK 

 remote, segments narrow. Penang, Wallich. Pt. ne7noralis,W&\l. Cat. n. 106/2, 

 also Pt. pyrophylla, Bl. En. Fil. Jav. p. 212 (" fide specim. in Herb. Paris," Ag.), 

 and of Ag. Sp. Gen. Fil. p. 30, but to me it appears a common form of Pt. qua- 

 driaurita; the same is found in Penang by Lady Dalhousie, with a red, subsca- 

 brous stipes and more numerous pinna;. South llicos, Philippine Islands, Cuming, 



