HO THE FERN-ALLIES OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 



on banks of roads through the forests up to 2,000 or more feet 

 altitude. Here it becomes a slender, weak plant with fine leaves. 

 Like the widely dispersed bracken it varies really very little except 

 where local circumstances are abnormal to it. In dry xerophytic 

 spots it becomes more stout with stiff incurved leaves, var. curvatum 

 and on wet mountains long and slender with fine spreading leaves, 

 var. salakense. Karl Muller has however, made some species out of 

 these habitat forms. 



Of the other species of Lycopodium we have one which may 

 be called Palaearctic viz., L. complanatum , our form however is 

 very different in habits from the Arctic type. 

 The rest run thus: — 



Tropical Asia and Polynesia to America 2 

 India to Polynesia . . . . . . 1 



Africa to Polynesia . . 3 



Malay isles only . . . . . . 3 



No species, is endemic. The terrestrial species are more wide- 

 ly distributed than the epiphytic ones as the area where epiphytic- 

 plants can grow is less extensive than the non-epiphytic area. 



The Selaginellas are none of them epiphytic; they inhabit 

 shady, wet forest. Outside our area there are a certain number 

 which are adapted for existence in dry, open regions, but most of 

 ours are to be found in the forests on the ground or on rocks; one 

 species 8. Ridleyi grows on rocks in streams under water or at least 

 is usually covered by water. Thirty-two species occur, of these we 

 have : — ■ 



Endemic, 21 species, India only, 3, Indo-Malaya, 4, 

 Malay isles only, 2, All tropics except Africa, 1. 

 It is quite possible that further collecting may show that some 

 of the endemics occur also in Borneo and Sumatra, but I cannot 

 'find specimens or reliable records of any of those classed as ende- 

 mics here in the Kew or British Museum herbaria. The most 

 widely distributed species is S. flabellata, originally described from 

 South America. The Asiatic form hardly differs from that of S. 

 America. The little S. Belangeri appear generally to grow in 

 rather dry, open spots, and is possibly an introduction from India, 

 where it appears to be common. 



The RMzocarpeae call for few remarks, being aquatics, there 

 are few suitable localities for these in the Malay Peninsula. The 

 remarkable Sdlvinia cucullata, abundant in the ponds in India and 

 in West Australia has recently been met with in Setul. Marsilea 

 erosa, an Indo-Malayan species, occurs in rice-fields in the plain 

 country, and Azolla pinnata is an introduction which rapidly spreads 

 wherever it can. It was perhaps introduced by natives from Java. 

 The Chinese constantly cultivate Pistia stratiotes for pig food, and 

 carry it about as they shift their quarters. Azolla a duckweed- 

 like plant is easily carried about with it and grows covering their 

 pig-food ponds with great rapidity. It may also be dispersed by 

 water fowl 5 adhering to their feathers. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



