Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 133 



coriaceous, pinnated; pinnae erect-patent, rather distant, 6-12-J4 

 inches long, 1— if wide, oblong or elongate-oblong, sessile, obliquely 

 cuneate at the base, entire, upper ones much decurrent, but (except 

 the two upper ones) not coadunate ; the apex suddenly and sharply 

 acuminated ; several of the lowest pairs abortive, reduced to small 

 hard scales; the surface glossy; veins obscure, compact, parallel ; sori 

 close to the costa continuous, narrow-linear ; involucres also very 

 narrow and indistinct. Wall. Cat. n. 2172. Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 53, 

 and Syn. Fil. p. 1S7. Bedd. F. B. I. t. 249. 



Penang and the Malay Peninsula. {Perhaps only a very broad- 

 leaved form of orientate?) 



GENUS XXXVL— BLECHNIDIUM. {Moore) 



(Resemblance to Blechnum.) 



Like Blechnum, but the veins anastomosing and forming large 

 arched areoles. 



1. Blechnidium melanopus. {Hook, under Blechnum) Stipes 

 black erect, 6 inches long, naked ; fronds broadly fa^ate-lanceolate, 

 glossy, sub-coriaceous, pinnate ; pinnae very approximate from a rather 

 broad adnate base, linear-oblong falcate, somewhat acute, the margin 

 entire, narrowly revolute, uppermost ones gradually confluent into a 

 lanceolate elongated lobe, the lowest 3-4 pair suddenly diminished, 

 short, very obtuse, sub-auriculatc at the superior base ; veins internal 

 reticulated, forming large angled areoles next the costa, narrower 

 oblique ones often extending to the margin ; ultimate veinlets free 

 and clavate at their apex just within the margin ; sori quite close to 

 the costa, continuous, not reaching to the apex of the pinnae, lower 

 half of the rachis beneath black. Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 64. Syn. Fil. 

 p. 186. Bedd. F. B. J. t. 50. 



Khasya Hills. 



