Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



367 



Assam, Gowhatty, Sylhet, Furidpore (floating in jheels.) 

 (Also in the Philippines, Formosa, and Malay Islands.) 



29. Pleopeltis nigrescens. (Bl.) Very like longissima, but 

 the wing to the rachis broader and the pinnae broader {i-\\ inches), 

 rather more crisp in texture and the veins more prominent ; it is 

 perhaps only a variety, but I have never seen longissima in a wild 

 state. Bl. En. Fil. Jav. 127. 

 P. longissima, Bedd. F. S. I. 

 176. Wall. Cat. 289, 2nd sheet 

 (alternifolium). 



South India, on rocks, 

 about the foot of the Western 

 mountains, (foot of Sispara 

 andCarcoor ghats), not ascend- 

 ing the mountains to any ele- 

 vation, and never growing in 

 water ; Ceylon. An exceed- 

 ingly handsome fern. 



30. Pleopeltis dilatata. 

 ( Wall.) Rhizome stout creep- 

 ing, paleaceous with ovate 

 reticulated scales; stipes \-.< 

 footandmore long, but strongly 

 winged the whole length by 



PLEOPELTIS NIGRESCENS. (Bl.) 



the decurrent base of the frond; fronds ample 1-1-2 and 3 feet long, 

 a foot and more wide, membranaceous, light-green, glabrous, oblong- 

 ovate, pinnatifid to within ]-i inch of the rachis (less towards the base), 

 segments 6-1 1, 5-8 inches long (shorter towards the apex), |— 1| inch 

 wide, oblong-lanceolate acuminate, subentire, suddenly decurrent ; 

 main veins wavy, forming large primary areoles which extend two- 

 thirds of the way to the margin and include the sori, these and the rest 

 of the segments are occupied by lesser irregular areoles including 

 many free veinlets, their branches moderately divaricating; sori nu- 

 merous, very small, often oval or more or less elongated, compital on 



