Ferns of British India an d Ceylon. 255 



Ceylon (near Newera Elya), 5,000 feet elevation. Lastrea undulata 

 (Thwaitei), Bedd. F. S. I. t. 271. 



Mr. Clarke's variety latesquama, does not differ from what I 

 consider the type of sparsa, which agrees exactly with Wall. Cat. 390, 

 Asp. densum, and Wall. Cat. 7080, Asp. oppositum. 



30. Lastrea pltlvinulifera. (Bedd.) Stipe up to 30 inches 

 long, furnished with a dense cushion-like mass of golden scales at 

 the base (as in L. odorata), and clothed throughout (especially in the 

 older specimens), as are the rachis and partial rachises, with numerous 

 narrow black scales, which proceed from a broad base, and which are 

 generally more copious at the axils of the pinnae ; fronds ample, up to 

 30 inches long (without the stipe) by 18 inches broad near the base, 

 deltoid, tripinnate, coriaceous-herbaceous ; pinnae gradually decreasing 

 in size from the base to the apex, lower pair opposite, large deltoid 

 with the pinnules of the lower margin much the largest, remaining 

 pinnae alternate or rarely subopposite or opposite ; pinnules up' to 

 4 inches long in the basal pinnae, with their secondary pinnules equal 

 to the primary pinnules on the upper parts of the frond ; segments 

 obtusely rounded, entire or lobed, and occasionally dentate or crenate, 

 glabrous on both sides, but sometimes furnished with a few weak 

 setae on the costules and veins on the upper side ; veinlets incon- 

 spicuous, terminating within the margin ; sori terminal on the lower 

 veinlet ; involucre reniform glabrous. Bedd. F. B. I. t. 333. Las- 

 trea pulvinulifera (Baker), Hook. Syn. Fil. p. 500, in part only. 

 Clarke, F. N. I. p. 525, in part only. Lastrea sparsa, var. squamulosa, 

 Clarke, I. c. p. 524, in part. 



Sikkim, very common about Darjeeling. Perhaps only a very 

 compound form of sparsa. 



31. Lastrea Buchanani. (Baker.) Stipes tufted up to 1 

 foot long, dark coloured at the base, straw-coloured upwards, densely 

 clothed as is the rachis, with long spreading rather rigid black hairs ; 

 fronds ovate to deltoid, tripinnate, with the tertiary pinnules from 

 subentire to pinnatifid, secondary rachis hairy, lowest pinn;e largest 

 deltoid unequal sided from being more compound al the base, 



