THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 449 
Clarke says—“ Perhaps the commonest fern of North India, extending over 
the plains to every village.” I suspect he means this to apply to the Lower 
Provinces of Benyal. I doubt if this fern can be found in many villages in the 
dry parts of the North-Western Provinces, though I think I used to see it in 
Rohilkhand. There is a specimen at Saharanpur from Calcutta, collected by 
Clarke, and I have seen it growing on the .walls of houses there. The fern 
likes water, and in swampy ground grows to a much larger size than is stated 
in the Synopsis. In Kumaun I have gathered it with fronds 8 feet long : this 
was by the bed of a stream, on limestone tufa. But P. longifolia will grow on 
dry cliffs, as it does in Mussooree, at over 6,000’ elevation. Baker says— veins 
close and fine, usually once-branched.”” A second branching is very frequent, 
and in two of my specimens, from Rawalpindi and Kumaun, both infertile, 
I see that the ultimate veinlets frequently unite before they reach the edge— 
_ forming loops. 
2. P. cretica, L.; Syn. Fil. 154; ©. R. 462; Bedd., H. B. 106. 
P, leta, Wall., Cat. 95. 
TRANS.-IND. STATES: Baraul and Swat, 4-6500’, Harriss, Gatacre. 
KASHMIR : Clarketin “ Rey.”; “common Jhelam Valley 4000’ down,” MacLeod in 
List ; Rattan Pir 6000’, Gammie. 
PUNJAB— Hazara Dist. : Black Mt.—Machai Peak, Gatacre, Trotter (in List of 
Punjab Ferns). Chamba; MeDonell Gin List); Kajiar 6500’, Trotter; Mandi State 
5-6000', Trotter ; KulZw 6-8000', Trotter, Coventry ; Simla Reg.— very abundant 
in certain parts of Simla, especially on the Sutlej] side of the spur, between 5500, 
and 6500’. It disappears above 8000’,” Blanf. 3500’ Gamble, Collett, Bliss. 
N.-W. P.: D. D. Dist.—Jaunsar—Deoban Mt., Duthie’s Collector; Rupin Valley 
4500’, C. G. Rogers; Mussooree 6-7000’, very abundant in places; 7. Garh.—Phedi 
4-5000’, Duthie; Brit. Garh. 4-5000', Duthie; Kwumaun 3000’—8000', S. and W. 
Hope, Davidson, Duthie. 
DISstTRIB.—Amer. : Florida, Mexico and Guatemala. urope : Corsica and Sardi- 
nia, Italy, Crete, Tyrol, Caucasus. Asia: Ural, Arabia, Persia; N. Ind. (Him.) 
Sikkim, Hook.-fil. 8-9000'; Assam—Kohima 5500’, Clarke ; Bengal—0-6000', com- 
mon, extending far into the Plains, as at Dhaka and Chittagong, Clarke. 
S. Ind.— Deccan ; Madras Presy.—very common, from sea level up to 8000’. Ceylon. 
Burma. Malay Penins. Philippines. Fiji and Sandwich Isles. Afr.: Abyssinia, 
Natal, Cape Colony, Bourbon, 
Clarke says the species is very variable, and he gives an amended description, 
intended to separate this species from P. pellacida, Presl., and P. crenata, Sw. I 
have not seen P. pellawida growing, but I can see no resemblance to P. cretica in 
herbarium specimens of it. And P. digitata, Wall. (P. stenophylla, Hk. and 
Gr.), which Mr. Baker places as a variety of P. cretica, and Clarke as a variety 
af P. pellucida (which does not grow in N.-W. India) is quite - distinct. from 
both. J have seen no variation in JP, cretica except that rarely a fertile frond 
