THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 451 
- were in the forest behind (east of) Jharipani, the half-way halting place on 
the road up to Mussooree, alt. nearly 5000’, growing in clayey soil away from 
rocks. I have kept only one of these plants, and find it has abont 20 stipes 
springing in a tuft not so thick as a finger. The stipes of some of the sterile 
fronds are 15” long, and of the fertile ones 20", Some of the fronds are 1 ft. 
in length. I havea plant wholly a-pinnate, 7. ¢, all the 12 fronds (there are 
numerous broken stipes besides) are perfectly simple. The sterile fronds of 
this plant have stipes up to 5in. long, and fronds up to 9 in. ‘There are only 
two fertile fronds : one has stipes 9 in. and frond 93 in. long. A specimen of 
P, pellucida, Presl., from the Nambur Forest, Mann, is subdimorphous, like 
P, digitata : the fertile frond much the longer, with one pair of side pinne, 
4, P. dactylina, Hook,, Syn. Fil. 155 ; C. R. 463 ; Bedd., H. B. 107. 
N.-W. P.; D. D. Dist.—Jaunsar, near Deoban 8000’, Herschell 1879, 9000’, 
Mackinnons, “between Bodyar and Deoban, Mrs. J.Sladen, coll. for Hope, 1880, 
Lokandi 8-8500’, Gamble 1892 and 1894 ; Kumaun—Pindar Gorge, near Dwali 8000’, 
Trotter 1891. 
DISTRIB.—Asia: N. Ind. (Him.) Nepdl-Hast ; Sikkim up to 12,000’; Assam— 
Khasi Hills, 4260’. China—Szechwan Prov., Faber and Henry, Yiinnan, Delavay. 
Clarke doubts the East Nepal locality, which is that given for a specimen in 
the Kew Herbarium If that is not an authentic record—though it is not an 
improbable one—there isa gap in the distribution between Kumaun and 
Sikkim, The shorter gap between Jaunsar and Kumaun ought to be filled up. 
This fern need never be confused with P. cretica and P. digitata, It has a 
long though rather slowly creeping rhizome like that of P. eretica, though not 
so thick ; but the stipes are like thin stalks of grass, whereas those of P. cretica 
are comparatively thick and very wiry. I have not seen P. dactylina growing, 
but I possess what Mr. Baker on seeing it pronounced to be a “‘ champion ” 
specimen : it was collected in Jaunsar by the Messrs. Mackinnon, This has a 
bit of rhizome 43 inches long, with about 36 fronds springing from all along it, 
presumably of one and the same year’s growth, very few of which are soriferous. 
This plant is 16—17 in, high: longest stipe 14’’, with a frond of only 4 in., 
fertile. Most of these fronds have a central terminal pinna, on a prolongation 
of the stipe, and a pinna springing from the stipe on each side, which side 
pinne immediately divide eash into two, making apparently five pinne, which 
spread out. These fronds are really tripartite, the two side parts forking, A 
frond collected by Mrs, Sladen, has apparently 7 pinnee, the lowest pair forked, 
making apparently 4, and 3 pinne taking off together from the main rhachis, 
which is prolonged for nearly half an inch beyond the springing of the lowest 
pair. I find the same, apparently 7 pinne, in some of Mr. Gamble’s Specimens, 
but also some fronds having apparently 9 pinnz, as the lowest pair Split each 
