Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 3 



later name than that of Wallich. Cyathea Lobbiana (Hook.) is 

 also a synonym. 



3. Alsophila ornata. Alsophila Oldhami ( Bedd.) (A. Scottii 

 Baker) is a synonym. The veinlets vary from simple to forked 

 or pinnate. Alsophila sikkimensis, Clarke and Baker, Jour, 

 Linn. Soc. vol. xxiv. p. 409 (Alsophila latebrosa, var. j3 Scott. 

 Hemitelia Brunoniana, var. /3 Scott. Clarke, F.N.T. 431. Hand- 

 book, p. 10) Rungbee, alt. 5,500 feet, is only a form with the 

 segments of the fertile pinnules unusually large, deeply crenated, 

 with many three-branched veinlets ; I do not know whether 

 it is constant enough to be considered a variety. 



4A. Alsophila trichodesma. (Scort.) Bedd. Jour, of Bot. 

 vol. xxv. p. 321. "Trunk middle sized, slender ; stipes scaly at 

 the base ; fronds 4-6 feet long, bipinnate ; rachis scabrid above, 

 clothed with adpressed spreading semi-viscous copious jointed 

 hairs; pinnse shortly petiolated, narrow lanceolate, 24-30 inches 

 long by 6-8 inches broad ; partial rachis clothed with the same 

 hairs as the main rachis, stramineous ; pinnules linear-lanceolate, 

 3-4 inches by £ inch, thinly herbaceous, clothed with the same 

 hairs as the rachis on both sides and on the costules and veins, 

 cut down nearly to the rachis into linear, obtuse, crenulate, rather 

 distant segments ; veinlets 7-8 on each side, forked ; sori medial 

 5-6 on each side of the costule." 



Perak (Scortecluni). Its nearest ally is Ah. Andersoni, of 

 which it is, perhaps, only a variety. 



5. Alsophila Oldhami. Omit this species, it being a 

 synonym of ornata. The cutting of the pinnules is variable. 



6a. Alsophila obscura. (Scort.) Bedd. Jour. 0/ Bot. vol. 

 xxv. /. 321. Caudex 6-7 feet high ; stipes 1-2 feet, densely 

 clothed downwards, with long lanceolate, sharply-serrated scales ; 

 fronds 4-5 feet by 2 feet, bipinnate, rachis scaly above, naked 

 beneath ; pinnae, the middle ones about i-i£ feet by 3-6 inches 

 diminishing in iize toward both ends ; rachis hairy above, naked 



