Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 189 



into the other even in their restricted areas, and that others are 

 geographical varieties which would not be constant in cultivation, and 

 secondly, because I think any attempt to separate them into species 

 would only add to the present confusion, it being a task that should 

 only be undertaken after a cultivation of all the different forms. 



Mr. Clarke has proposed the subgenus Pseud. -Allantodia 

 for the species with allantodioid sori and free veins, but I am afraid 

 these allantodioid sori are not constant or to be depended on, 

 Australe, from the Nilgiris, has the sori often quite allantodioid as 

 figured by me, tab. 158, F. S. I. ; but I have specimens where all 

 the sori are perfectly diplazioid ; again, I 

 have specimens of Asplenium resectum, 

 from two different localities, with nearly all 

 the sori allantodioid. 



Var. australe. (R. Br.) Stipes 

 often muricate; fronds 3-pinnatifid, often 

 rather flaccid in texture, ultimate segments 

 broad and blunt, sori sometimes quite al- diplazium umbrosum, var. 

 lantodioid, at other times quite asplenioid australe. (A\ Br.) 

 or diplazioid ; rhizome creeping or erect. Athyrium australe, Bedd. 

 F. S. I. t. 1 58. Diplaz. bellum, Clarke, F. N. I. p. 496. Uiplaz. 

 multicaudatum, var. tristis, Clarke, I. c. p. 512. 



Sikkim, Bhotan ; Khasya ; Nilgiris and other mountain forests, 

 5,000-7,000 feet, in South India ; Birma. 



(Also in Australia and Tropical Africa.) 



Var. procerum. ( Wall) Rhizome creeping ; stipes muricate ; 

 fronds very large, moderately firm in texture, primary pinna; up to 

 nearly 2 feet long, secondary pinna? 5-5 | inches, again pinnated 

 with the pinnules about 1 inch long, and pinnatifid about half-way to, 

 the rachis ; segments oblong, crenate; veinlets in the segments once 

 forked ; sori mostly in two rows, near and parallel to the midrib, 

 but other vjry short sori are scattered on the segments ; indusium 

 allantodioid. Wall. Cal. 2203. Hook. Syn. Fil. 4S9. Dipl. pro- 

 cerum, Clarke, 495. 



