137 



brown, rather glossy ; fronds subcoriaceous, naked brown-green, glossy, 

 erect, ovate-oblong or ovate, f -1£ ft. 1. ft. w., with a stiff brown 

 glossy rachis and a terminal pinna?, usually not free, and about a dozen 

 oblique lateral ones, which are 4-6 in. 1. and ^rd-fths of an in. w., 

 straight or curved; narrowed to the base, the lower ones most so, and 

 adnate, with an open space between them, acute or acuminate, entire ; 

 veins evident, the main ones oblique, areolae 2-3-serial ; sori 1-2 serial, 

 brown. 



Very common in the mid-region of the great mountain range, grow- 

 ing in coffee plantations and on wayside banks. Generally the pinnae 

 are narrowed to the base, a little at the top of the frond, gradually in- 

 creasing to much at the bottom, and all are adnate to the rachis. 

 There is however a form in which, except the two or three upper ones, 

 they are all free, and not narrowed, but rounded, the lower ones cun- 

 eate, the lowest of all stipitate, and in which the venation is not raised 

 beneath, and the second row of sori is close to the margin. 



64. P. neriifolium, Schk. — Rootstock creeping, often freely, ^-f in. 

 thick, fleshy in the growing part, densely clothed with bright broadish 

 acuminate scales having a pale scariose margin ; stipites 1-1^ ft. L, 

 strong, brown or castaneous, naked and rather glossy ; fronds subcoria- 

 ceous, quite naked, dull dark green, pendent, 2^-3^ ft. 1. 1-1| ft. w., 

 not, or haraly, reduced at the base, pinnate ; pinnae subdietant, spread- 

 ing, rather upcurved in the outer part, 8-10 in. 1. 1\ in. w., 12-20 to a 

 side with a similar terminal one, acuminate, the upper ones more or 

 less adnate to the glossy dark brown rachis, those below gradually less 

 so and becoming cuneate, the basal ones stipitate and almost free, the 

 margins entire or crenate-repand ; venation conspicuous, areoae 4-serial ; 

 sori rather large, slightly impressed, in 1 or more rows, the inner are 

 always complete.— Goniophlebium meniscifolium, Fee. 



Infrequent among the lower hills on shady banks. Distinguished 

 mainly from attenuatum by the much larger size, pendent habit and 

 darker colour. The stout rootstock often extends a foot or two long 

 and interlaces, lifting from the ground in a large mass. 



65. P. surrucuchense, Hook. — Rootstock short-creeping, fleshy in the 

 younger part, densely coated with ovate, or lanceolate acuminate, reticu- 

 lated castaneous scales ; stipites erect or suberect, naked, browish, 6-12 

 in. 1. ; fronds 9-18 in. 1. 6-12 in. w. subcoriaceous, pellucid, deep green, 

 often with a metallic tinge beneath, quite naked, not reduced, truncate 

 at the base, fully pinnate throughout, the rachis rather slender, stiff, 

 glossy, brownish ; pinnae oblique or the lower ones horizontal, £-1 in. 

 apart, nearly or quite opposite, ligulate- acuminate and attenuated, 4-7 

 iu 1. 3-5 li. w., 6-12 or more to a side, and a similar long terminal one 

 which has usually 1-2 pairs of short rounded basal lobes, the lower ones 

 unequally subcordate or obliquely rounded at the base, the lowest 

 shortly stipitate, the upper slightly adnate, entire or repand in the 

 outer attenuated part ; veins pellucid, forming a single row on each 

 side of costal areolae ; sori bright aureate, uniserial, nearly a line in dia- 

 meter. — Hook. Icon. t. 69. 



Infrequent on trees and logs in forests and coffee plantations from 

 3,000-6000 ft. alt. By its vivid deep green clear colour and ruddy 

 sori this a most attractive species. In the terminal segment, which is 

 rather broader than the lateral, an attempt is occasionally shown to 



