Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



355 



thick as a crowquill, scales lanceolate-linear, brown spreading ; stipes 

 4-S inches long, firm, erect, slightly scaly below ; fronds 6-12 inches 

 long, up to 3 inches broad, ovate-lanceolate, the apex acute, the 

 margin entire, the base narrowed suddenly, texture herbaceous, both 

 sides glabrous ; main veins distinct to nearly the edge, with copious 

 areoles including free forked veinlets ; sori large irregularly scattered 

 near the costa. Polypodium ovatum, Wall. Cat. 276. Hook. Syti. 

 Ml. 359. Bedd. F. B. I. t. 157. 



Sikkim, Chundaghiri, Bhotan, 

 Khasya, 4,000 feet elevation, at 

 Bishop's Falls, Shillong, rare. 



16. Pleopeltis membranacea. 

 (Don.) Rhizome short-creeping, 

 stout, the younger portion palea- 

 ceous, with blackish-green ovate 

 acuminate scales ; stipes distant or 

 subaggregated, 1-5 inches long, if 

 longer winged above with the de- 

 current base of the frond ; fronds 

 6 inches to 2-3 feet long, by less 

 than an inch to 6 inches broad, 

 thin membranaceous and translu- 

 cent, lanceolate or oblong-lanceo- 

 late, or oblanceolate, acuminate, 

 the base long attenuated and much 

 gradually decurrent upon the stipes, 

 glabrous, the margin entire (or rarely more or less deeply sinuate- 

 lobate or pinnatifid, and even fimbriated throughout the whole 

 length with long narrow unequal segments) ; venation very distinct, 

 main veins horizontal or nearly so, slender, usually remote, connected 

 by transverse veins which form the primary areoles, and these are 

 filled up with irregular net-work, of which the areoles are very unequal 

 and include copious free veinlets; sori compital, rather small, usually 

 in two series between the costules, more or less numerous according 



N°I99. 



PLEOPELTIS GRIFFITHIANA. (Hook.) 



