﻿34 MR. JOHN SCOTT ON THE TREE FERNS OF BRITISH SIKKIM 



hrosa. It has been published by Beddome [vide ' Ferns of Biltish India/ t. 311) as 

 an AlsopUla, Lately, however, I have had young specimens, which show it to be a 

 true Hemitelia. It is perhaps most closely allied to, though I believe truly distinct 

 from, the more strongly muricated forms of iT. WalJccrcBy especially thoso with the 

 more elongated falcate segments. Under Cyathea spinulosa I have noted its resem- 

 blance to that species ; it also considerably resembles certain of the more strongly 

 armed peninsular states of A, contaminans. Aside from generic characters, however, 

 they are easily distinguished by the opener sinuses and less strictly dichotomous vena- 

 tion of H. decipiensj and the glaucous hue of the underside of the fronds of A. con- 



r 



taminans. They also differ much in the structure of the stem, the interior of the stem 

 of H. decipiens being abundantly interspersed with fi'ee woody bundles, which are 



rly absent in A 



The fronds are also heptastichously arranged in a 



f angular divergence in the former species, with long persistent bases; in the latter 

 the angular divergence is f , the stipe altogether less woody, rapidly decaying down to 

 the stem, and leaving upon it, as in the truly articulated species, prominent ovate 

 scars, 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. I may here note that the origin of the Lepcha 

 name, " pagzbeek-nok," or the black pagzbeek, is from its resembling, in armatui'e and 

 development of the fibro-vascular system, A, latehrosa, their "pugzbeek ; " the adjective 

 has its origin in the darker-hued stipes. 



Alsophila, Br. 



^ori globose, dorsal on a vein or in the forking of a vein. Receptacle mostly elevated, frequently villous. 



Involucre absent. 

 Hemitelia. (Syn. Fil. p. 31.) 



ferns 



of Cyathea and 



1. A. LATEBROSA, Hk. Stlpes aculeate at the base, muricated upwards, dark maho- 

 gany-brown in colour; primary pinncB oblong-acuminate, 12-24 inches long, 

 6-8 inches broad ; pinnules lanceolate-acuminate, 3-4 inches long, \ an inch broad' 

 and cut down nearly to the rachis into numerous, linear-oblong, blunt slio-htly 

 toothed lobes on each side ; texture herbaceous, upper surface dark ^reen n^ked 

 lotver surface naked, or slightly hairy and scaly ; veins all once forked • ' 

 elevated, conspicuous, occupying often the lower two thirds of the seoment • - 

 Hook. & Baker Syn. M. p. 43 ; Moore, Ind. Eil. p. 52 ; Bedd. M. S. Ind. p. 19 

 t. &S , rolypodium latehrosum. Wall. Cat. n. 318 - - ^ 



sojn 



Hab 



-^ - -^,r--^^''^ .^.c.,c.*w,., vvau. uat. n. 318. " Piigzbeek" of the Lenchas 

 by many of whom it is called " Surungo-paluh," or temperate paliih. ^ 



iveral of the Sikkim plants which I have examined have what aDDeara in m. * t tt 

 different in texture from the buUate scales of the rachis Lfco taT T. L' I ' ^'^^'^^oid 

 t genus, hut for the absence of .nv nf,.«. .;.„.• '..Z! '"^ ^^^.^^)' ^^^^ ""^^t almost justify theix 



tiate individuals with which they are associated, and to which they pa? 

 .uld be impossible to determine to which of the two some specimens 

 (Lmn.xxiv. p. 294\ differs from th^ aKa^^ f^^^. :„ ^-u. .^, 



distingui 



/3 



inches long by 4-0 inches wide, reduced pinnules, and less elevated re^eptados! 



