50 Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



narrow fronds, I have not detected an indusium in the few 

 specimens (over-ripe) which I have seen, but I feel sure its 

 position is here. 



3 Lastrea affinis. A very variable species, and the caudex 

 is sometimes creeping and sometimes erect. Mann sends very 

 fine specimens from Jowai, Jaintia Hills, Assam, 4,000 feet alt., 

 with the pinnules very large, this is Clarke's var. assamica. 

 Clarke's affinis has smaller pinnules (No. 44,762), but I have 

 intermediates, and cannot distinguish them as varieties. 



Var. cornu-cervi. (Don.) Pinnules very coriaceous, 

 euneate, eroso-laciniate. Bhotan. (Hook.f. et Thorn.) Appears to 

 be an abnormal or diseased form — there are copious specimens in 

 the Natural History Museum and Kew Herbaria, but it does net 

 appear to have been gathered since Hooker collected it. 



4. Lastrea coniifolia. The large compound forms of this 

 with an erect caudex, and the smaller deltoid aristata with a 

 long creeping rhizome, both so common in Southern India, are as 

 distinct as ferns can well be, and keep their characters in culti- 

 vation, but when the mass of material at Kew from various 

 countries is under review, every variation of cutting is seen, and 

 there are many varieties or forms that, in the absence of roots, 

 would puzzle any pteridologist to say whether they belonged to 

 aristata or to coniifolia ; nor is it always easy to draw a line 

 between aristata and affinis, though typical forms differ widely. 

 The Ceylon var. of coniifolia (C. P. 3,938) is much less cut than 

 the South Indian plant, 



4A. Lastrea varia. (Linn, under Polypodinni.) Rhizome 

 erect, or subrepent ; stipes up to nearly 2 feet long, densely scaly 

 at the base, scales long, linear-subulate, hair-like towards the apex, 

 chestnut coloured, glossy ; rachis and partial rachis scaly, but 

 scales soon deciduous ; fronds i-i|- feet long, 8-12 inches broad 

 at base, lanceolate-deltoid, lower pinnae much the largest,- sub- 

 deltoid unequal sided, the lower pinnules being much produced 



