254 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATUEAL HISTOEV SOCIETY, Vol XIV. 



I have been disappointed that Mr. Baker has not admitted this plant to 

 specific rank ; but possibly he has not seen the rhizome which is as widely 

 creeping and branching as is that of A. schimperi — a character mainly founded 

 on to distinguish the latter species from A. flUx-femina. This radical 

 difference in root-stocks in ferns is a distinctive character that saems to be quite 

 unsurmountable. Possibly, accidental plants or cultural varieties of A. filix- 

 femina may be found with cutting like that of A.-pedinatum, but they cannot 

 have a creeping sarmentum. Clarke's figure, Plate 68 of his " Eeview," 

 shows the cutting of the frond well ; but, without the rhizome, which he does 

 not even mention, it gives no idea of the appearance of the plant. Beddome's 

 description in his Supplement should be referred to, but his B. ienellum, 

 F. S. I., t. 154, which seems to show an erect caudex, cannot be this species. 

 Sometimes, perhaps, fronds spring in tufts from the creeping rhizomes. In 

 large specimens the lower pairs of pinnae get very distant — four inches and 

 more apart. The plant is very tender, succulent, and brittle in life. The sori 

 are generally very minute, but the cutting of the plant is so fine that there is 

 no room for large sori. The contrast between the habitats in Sikkim — on dry 

 burning slopes to the South, according to Clarke, and, in the Simla Region, 

 in damp ravines, according to Blanford, is very great. The plant, as I know 

 it grows longest in rich soil in the shade ; but I have seen it doing well in the 

 open, and even on dry rocks, though stunted. 



30. A. oxyphyllum. Hook ; Syn. Fil. 228 ; C. R. 493. Athyrmm 

 oxyphyllum, Bedd. H. B. 170. 



N.-W. P.: Garhtoal— fde Clarke in "Review""; ^MmaMW—Naini Tal, Davidson 

 1875 in Herb., Hort. Sahar. ; between Dandih^t and Karela 5-6000', Duthie No. 8170 

 1884 ; MacLeod 1893 (no locality stated). 



DISTKIB.— 4sia : N. lud. (Him.) Nepal to Bhutan : " very common from Nepal 

 eastwards" ^Clarke) ; Assam— Khasia 3-6000', common, Kohima 5000', Clarke. 



This seems to be one of the rarest ferns in North-Western India— only twice 

 or thrice collected, so far as I know. MacLeod's specimens in my possession are 

 very small, simply pianate, with no involucres. Another small frond, from the 

 same source, may be different : it is truly lanceolate, and the segments are com- 

 pletely covered with ripe sori, among which large reverted involucres are copiously 

 present. 



31. A. fimbriatum, Hook. ; Syn. Fil. 229 ; C. R. 494. Atliyrium 

 firribriatum, Wall, (under Polypodium) Bedd. H. B. 172, and Suppt. H. B. 

 37, var. squavtaium. 



Kashmir: Sarpat 10,000', McDonell and McLeod 1891 :—" Water-shed between 

 Jhelum and Kishenganga Valleys, common at 10,000', never lower : on north slopes 

 only " (MacLeod). E. Kashmir— Mi' Clarke in " Review." 



Punjab: Chamla-^kra, 11,000', Clarke No. 24152,1874, in Herb. Kew ; Ravi 

 Valley 8000', McDonell, 10,000', J, Marten 1897 ; ^mZZw— 8-10,000', Trotter j Mandi 



