'HYMATODES. 7l 



often oval or ol)long and lying parallel with tlie costules. — 

 Don, Prodr. Fl. Ncp. p. 2. Met ten. Po/i/pod. p. 118. P. 

 grandifolium, fi'alL Cat. n. 282 {a very Jm-ge form). P. lie- 

 terocarpum, Bl. Fil. Jav. p. IG/. t. 75 (P. Zollingerianum, 

 Kze. and Mctten.). 



Ilab. Apparently common all over India proper: Bengal, Khasya, Assam, 

 Boutan, and westward to Kumaon (alt. 6500 feet), Madras and Bombay Presi- 

 dencies. Ceylon, abundant, Gardner, n.WAb. Java, Blume, Milled (firmer tex- 

 ture and more oi)aque). — It is utterly impossible to attempt to characterize in few 

 words such a truly polymorphous plant as this, in the size and shape and texture, 

 in the form and disposition of the sori, etc. Much of these variations may be 

 considered abnormal, a freak of nature, especially in the deeply ))iiinatifid fronds 

 and in the case where only a single series of large, pulvinate, misshapen sori ap- 

 pears between the costules. By far the greater number of our specimens have 

 the fronds more thin and membranaceous than, perhaps, any known Fern, soine- 

 limes almost as thin and pellucid and as bright a green as Ulva Lactuca. P.lie- 

 terocarjmm, Bl., well accords with some of our specimens with the firmer and 

 less meral)ranaceous fronds, but the stipes is unusually long, and the name is far 

 from applicable. 



351. P. (Phymatodes) superficiale, Bl. ; caudex very long 

 creeping or scandent branched tortuose sparingly paleaceous 

 with subscariose short lanceolate scales, stipites more or less 

 distant 2-6 inciies long often curved upwards, fronds G-12 

 inches long 1-2 inches broad straight or subfalcate lirm- 

 menibranaceous generally very opaque lanceolate or oblongo- 

 lanceolate entire glabrous finely acuminated, below gradually 

 attenuated and decurrent upon the stipes, no distinct cos- 

 tules, primary veins obliquely patent fle.\uose slender united 

 by transverse veins so as to form about four rows of large 

 subquadrate areoles, these are again divided into irregular 

 lesser ones which include free simple or branched veinlets, 

 sori small arranged in two irregular series between the pri- 

 mary veins.— i?/. Fil. Jav. p. 13G. t. 56./. 1 {excellent). P. 

 hymenodes, Wall. Cat. n. 283 {not of Kze., according to Met- 

 ten. Fil. Hort. Lips. p. 37. /. 25./ 40-41. Fee, Polyp. p. 115). 



Ilab. Java, Blame, De Vriese and Teijsmann, n. 27. Chappadong Mountain, 

 Tenasserim, Wallich, Griffith. Khasya, Boutan, Griffilh, Hooker fil. and Thom- 

 son, alt. 3000-GOOO feet. Hongkong and Tsus-Sima, coast of Corea, Wilford.— 

 Var. ^, brevifolia ; fronds very opaque sul)coriaceous siiorter and broader in pro- 

 portion, sori larger but few and S])arse, possibly distinct. Java, De Vriese, and 

 Malay Islands, Thos. Lobb. — This is well figured by Bhinie, and is certainly the 

 P. hymenodes, Wall., but not of Kze. and Mettenius, according to the latter; yet 

 his figure is sufficiently satisfactory for our plant. 



352. P. (Phymatodes) oodes, Kze. ; caudex creeping fili- 

 form setaceo-paleaceous with fulvous hairs rather than scales, 

 stipites wide apart 3-3i inches long slender filiform glabrous 



