1 88 Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



to " polypodioides," but until the plant is better known, I think it 

 safer to follow Mr. Thwaites's view. 



Young plants of latifolium often produce simply pinnate fronds, 

 which in some of the less cut varieties can scarcely be distinguished 

 from sylvaticum, and I think Mr. Clarke's Sylhet specimens, referred 

 by him to sylvaticum, belong to latifolium. 



19. Diplazium travancoricum. (Bedd.) A very large fein 

 with trunk-like caudex, secondary pinnas 20-24 inches long, 

 lanceolate, somewhat attenuated at the base, the apex acuminate or 

 caudate, quite pinnate towards the base, the lower pinnules being 

 petioled, the upper ones gradually becoming sessile, then decurrent, and 

 the pinnas terminating with a long broad pinnatifid apex, which for 

 the upper 8 inches or so is only very shallowly incised, lowest 2 or 3 

 pinnules smaller than the adjoining ones, next in order 2^-3^ inches 

 long, by about 1 inch broad, lanceolate in shape, very slightly serrated 

 towards the apex ; veins numerous, prominent and pinnate from a 

 prominent central costa ; texture subcoriaceous ; surfaces glabrous 

 and striated ; sori commencing a little distance from the midrib, and 

 not nearly reaching the margin. 



Travancore Hills ; Athraymally forests, a very fine new species. 



20. Diplazium umbrosum. (_/. Smith, under Athyrium.) 

 Stipes 1 foot or more long, strong, erect, clothed often with dark 

 scales, andsometimes muricate; fronds 3-5 feet long, 12-18 inches 

 broad ; primary pinnas ovate.-lanceolate to deltoid-lanceolate, up to 18 

 inches long ; secondary pinnae very various, sometimes small and only 

 pinnatifid (in the simpler forms), to quite pinnate with the pinnules 

 pinnatifid in the larger and more compound forms ; texture herba- 

 ceous; veins pinnate ; veinlets simple or forked ; sori generally short 

 and near the midrib ; indusium very variable, often all asplenioid or 

 diplazioid, often all allantodioid and mixed with very short sori. u 

 Hook. Syn. Fil. 229 and 489 (under Athyrium.) 



I follow Hooker and Baker, and refer here a good many forms, 

 firstly because I now believe they are so closely allied that they really 

 are only varieties of one species, and that some of them run one 



