358 45a. pteris. § 1. eupteris. b. pl\>atae. 



visible, fine, simple or forked, close, + 10 — 15 to a c.M. Sori not reaching 

 the apex. — The young plants have the fronds ternate or quinate. 

 Malaya; North. India. 



(10) P(. papnaua, Ces., Fel. Becc. Polin., 5 & 7. 



Near Pt. pellucida, Pr., but much finer. Pinnae more approximate, about 

 '/a narrovrer and 72 shorter, entire, the highest ones simple, the foUovring 

 slightly 2-lobed, the lower 5-furcate or 5-lobed, petiolate. Sori long, reaching 

 the apex of the pinnae except on the upper side. 



New Guinea. 



* (11) Pt. crelica, X., Hk. Bk., Syn. Fil., 154; Bedd. Ferns S.I., 

 tab. XXXIX. 



Stipes 15 — 50 or even to 60 c.M. long, erect, wiry, naked, stramineous 

 or pale-brown, polished. Fronds 15 — 40 c.M. long, 15 — 25 c.M. broad, ovate, 

 sometimes subflabellate. Pinnae usually in 2—6 pairs below the terminal 

 one, the upper ones sometimes more or less decurrent, sessile, ascending, the 

 longest linear-lanceolate, 7 — 20 c.M. long, '/i — 2 c.M. broad, the sterile ones 

 not seldom considerably the broadest, acuminate, narrowed towards the base, 

 spinuloso-serrate at the edge, the lower ones stalked, often cleft down nearly or 

 quite to the base into 2 — 3 linear segments. Texture coriaceous, but not 

 thick; rachis and surfaces naked; veins fine, close, parallel, simple or forked. 

 Indusium narrow, pale, membranaceous. — Exceedingly variable. 



Tropical and extra-tropical all round the world. 



* (12) PI. melanocaulon, Fde, Copel., Polypod. Philipp., 100; 

 Pt. cretica, L., var. melanocaulon, Hk. Bk., Syn. Fil., 164; C. Chr., Ind. Fil.; 

 PL Treacheriana, Bk., Journ. of Bot., XVII, 65. 



Bhizome erect, short. Stipes tufted, slender, naked, blackish, polished, 

 fragile, ± 10—50 c.M. long. Fronds ovate-lanceolate, simply pinnate, 15 — 36 

 cM. long. Pinnae stalked, linear, arcuate, suberect, 5 — 25 c M. long, 3 — 5 

 m.M. broad, narrowed towards the base, serrate or toothed in the barren 

 fronds, crenate and sterile towards the apex in the fertile fronds, the higher 

 ones ± decurrent, the lowest often with 2 — 3 fork branches at the base. 

 Texture rather firm; rachis and surfaces naked, (+ glaucous?); veins generally 

 once forked, sometimes scarcely visible. Indusium mostly broad. 



Philippine and Sulu Islands. 



