Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



249 



pinnae lanceolate, cut down nearly (scarcely ever quite) to the rachis 

 into close, blunt, regular segments which are subentire, crenate, or 

 serrulate, lower pinnae sometimes gradually reduced, sometimes not 

 at all so ; texture generally more or less coriaceous, rachis scaly or 

 glabrous, under surface generally naked, sometimes fibrillose, veins 

 forked, or the lower ones pinnate, sori medial, involucre large, reniform 



1551. Hook 



glabrous. Polyp. Filix-mas, L. Sp.Pl. 

 p. 272; Sp. Fil. iv. 116. Lastrea 

 odontoloma. Bedd. F. S.l.t. 1 1 (typical 

 Filix-mas). Clarke, F. N. I. p. 519. 



Throughout the Indian region, but 

 generally confined to considerable ele- 

 vations on the mountains. 



(Also found throughout the world 

 (in temperate places) except in Australia 

 and America south of Peru). 



V.A.R. (3 PARALLELOGRAMMA. (Hook, 



Sp. Fil. iv. 116.) Pinnate, rarely 

 sub-bipinnate, pinna; often reduced 

 towards the base, segments oblong-pa- 

 rallelogram, generally close and com- 

 pact, entire, crenated or serrated. 



I include under this as sub-varieties, 

 patentissima, fibrillosa, apiciflora, nidus, 

 and Clarkei. Taking patentissima (com- 

 mon throughout the Indian region) as the 

 type, they all show very slight differences, 

 and these are not constant ; apiciflora, 

 which has generally been made a dis- 

 tinct species, is remarkable on account of the sori being confined to 

 the apex of its segments ; Mr. Clarke has, however, found it frequently 

 with the sori scattered, though he says it can be distinguished by being 

 remarkably free from fibrilke and hairs, but I have specimens which I 

 gathered, near Darjeeling, with fibrilke on all the veins beneath ; 

 the fronds are generally more truncate at the base than patentissima, 



N?i29. 



LASTREA FILIX-MAS. (Z.) 



var. nidus. [Clarke.) 



