Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 407 



attaining the apex in the barren fronds, but lost in the fertile ones ; 

 veins short, oblique, parallel, immersed ; sori quite sunk, in deep 

 intramarginal grooves. Kunze. Hook. Syn. Fil. 395. V. falcata 

 and minor Fee ^rd. Mem. Foug. 



Malacca. 



(Also in the Philippines.) 



4. Vittaria amboinensis. (Fee.) Fronds 4-5 inches long, by 

 3-4 lines broad, smooth, submembranaceous, falcate acuminate, 

 tapering below into a petiole ; costa slender, disappearing below the 

 apex ; veins curved equal approximate ; sori closely marginal, cuticle 

 of the margin resembling a false involucre ; caudex flexuose, con- 

 torted scaly, scales cancellate, rigidly toothed at the margin. Fee, 

 Vittar. p. 44, t. 1,/. 1. (not Me ft.) Hook. Sp. Fil. v. 177. Bedd. 

 F. B. I. t. 117. 



Martaban. This seems as distinct a species as most of this group, 

 though it is possible it may be a small form of scolopendrina, the 

 veins are combined where fertile by an intramarginal vein which runs 

 along the centre of the receptacle. 



(Also in Amboyna). 



5. Vittaria lineata. (Sw.) Rhizome very short creeping; 

 stipes tufted, scales acuminate with caudate points ; fronds up to 8 

 inches long, J— J inch broad, narrowed gradually downwards to the 

 stout compressed stipe, the margin often reflexed, texture thick, a 

 distinct raised midrib from the base to the apex; veins simple, im- 

 mersed, parallel, very oblique ; sori in a broad intramarginal shallow 

 furrow, the edge of the frond distinctly beyond the furrow and at first 

 wrapped over it. Stv. Syn. Fil- p. 109. Hook. Syn. Fil. 396. Tseni- 

 opsis lineata, Bedd. F. S. I. t. 54. Fee separated the Indian plant 

 from the American under the name of flexuosa, and Mr. Clarke has 

 adopted that name, but the two plants seem identical. 



South India, on the Western mountains, 2,000-6,000 feet 

 elevation ; Ceylon, central provinces, common ; Himalayas, 2,000 

 -12,000 feet elevation, from Gurwhal to Bhutan, Khasya, 1,000- 

 6,000 feet elevation ; Mnlay Peninsula. 



