THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 249 
Frond deltoidly lanceolate, acute to acuminate, up to 8 ins. long and 
5 ins. broad, always thickly coated beneath with white powder, Lowest 
pair of pinnee always the largest. Segments narrow. Sori continuous 
round the simus. Margims of involucres entire, uneven, or toothed, not 
lacerate. 
“ This form ranges all over India. I have collected it at Pachmarhi at 
3000’, and I have specimens from the Khasi Hills ab 3-5000’ and 
from the Nilgiris up to 6000/.” 
I found this fern abundant in the Rewa State of Central India, in 1860- Bil, 
It seemed to be common along the norsh edge of the plateau, at the heads of 
the valleys running down thence northwards. And I have a sheet on which is a 
tickei of Mr. Clarke’s—‘ Cheilanthes farinosa, Central India?” One plant 
of this is exactly small C. anceps, Blanf. 
10. ©. anceps, Blanf., in “The Silver Ferns (Cheilanthes) of Simla 
and their Allies,” read before the Simla Natural History Society, 25th June, 
1886. Cheilanthes farinosa, var. anceps, Blanf. in Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, 
Vol, LVIT, Pt. IL, No. iv, 1888 ; Cl. and Baker, in Journ Linn. Soe. XXV. 
411; Bedd. Suppl Joly }o35 74ale ae C. farinosa. 
“Stipes thick, up to 8 ins. long, little longer or shorter than the 
frond, dark chesnut to almost black, bearing, generally throughout, dark 
linear-lanceolate scales, with pale margins, which often extend to 
the pringipal rhachis but nob beyond. Frond lanceolate to oblong- 
lanceolate. Under surface always thickly coated with white powder. 
Lowest two or more pairs of pinne subequal, rather distant, 
Involucres narrow, with toothed or lacerate margins. 
“ Readily distinguished from the typical form by the shortness of 
the lowest pair of pinnee, and the greater extension of the scales. In 
large well grown fronds the lower three or four pairs are nearly 
equal, and the form” (shape?) “of the frond approaches that of 
C. subvillosa, Spesimens collected by Mr. Clarke in the Khasi Hills 
present the same characters as those of the N..W. Himalaya. 1 
have specimens also from Mt, Abu (Rajputana), collected by Di. 
King, and from the Nilgiris at 4000’ and 6000’, collected by Mr, 
Gamble.” 
The above is Mr. Blanford’s description cf var. anceps in the Journal of the 
Asiatic Society Bengal. As to habitat, he said :— 
“Inthe North-West Himalaya it has a well defined, but restricted 
range of elevation, vz., from 3500 to 6000 ft., and is common 
below Simla between 4500 and 5000 ft, 
