284 Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



2-3 inches long, \—^ inch broad, usually acute at the apex, the 

 margin entire or slightly crenate, the superior base with a small narrow 

 auricle, the lower base with a smaller rounded one ; texture rather 

 coriaceous, both surfaces nearly glabrous, or very scaly particularly 

 when young ; sori submarginal ; indusium firm, reniform. Polypo- 

 dium exaltatum, L. Sp. PL 1548. Nephrolepis exaltata (Schott), 

 Hook. Syn. Fil. 301. Bedd. F. S. I. t. 93. 



South India, the mountain forests of the Eastern and Western 

 sides ; East Bengal from Assam to Chittagong, up to 1,000 feet 

 elevation ; Ceylon ; Malay Peninsula. 



(Also in the tropics of nearly all the world.) 



3. Nephrolepis volubilis. (y. Smith, MS.) Rhizome climbing, 

 up to 50 feet over trees, with adpressed chesnut scales on the short 

 lateral distant spurs, whence spring clusters of stipes ; pinnae obtuse or 

 not very acute ; venation, sori, &c, as in exaltata. Aspid. exaltata, 

 Wall. Cat. 1 03 1, partly. Clarke, F. N. I. p. 541, t. 78. 



Sylhet and Chittagong ; Malacca. 

 (Also in Borneo.) 



4. Nephrolepis acuta. (Fresl.) Rhizome short ; stipes 

 tufted up to 8 inches or more long, firm, naked or slightly scaly ; 

 fronds up to 8 feet long, pinnate ; pinnae up to 8 inches long and if 

 inch broad, oblong acuminated, sometimes shortly petioled, the 

 margin slightly crenated ; texture thin, both surfaces hairy when 

 young, as is the rachis, but quite glabrous in age ; sori near the 

 margin ; involucre reniform to suborbicular. Fresl. Hook. Sp. Fil. 

 iv. 153. Bedd. F. S. I. t. 94. Neph. biserrata {Schott). 



South India, common on the North Arcot Hills, at no great 

 elevation; Ceylon ; North India, Chittagong Hills, up to 1,000 feet. 

 (Also in Tropical Africa.) 



5. Nephrolepis ramosa. (Beauv. under Aspidiwn.) Rhizome 

 slender, wide-creeping ; stipes very short, scattered ; fronds up to 

 12 inches long, 1-3 inches broad, pinnate; pinnae |-i|- inch long, 



