141 



veins, very small fugacious sori, thicker but quite pellucid texture, 

 relatively longer stipites, and the slight dilation of the wings at the 

 base of the frond. This, too, is occasionally furcate. 



72. P. Icevigatum, Cav. — Rootstock slender, free-creeping, the bases 

 of the stipites raised in a single linear series along the upper side, 

 scales dark, ovate — acuminate, reticulated; stipites 2-4 in. 1., slender, 

 naked, or with a few deciduous pale reticulated scales, stramineous ; 

 fronds \-l ft. 1.. f-lj in. w., generally finely acuminate, the base at- 

 tenuated and decurrent on the stipites, chartaceous, naked, light or 

 dark green, glossy, the margin entire usually repand, thin-edged, the 

 rachis slender, stramineous ; primary veins slender, but slightly raised 

 and distinct, oblique, rather flexuose, areolae immersed, 2-4 serial, con- 

 taining mostly two free soriferous veinlets each, the intermediary capil- 

 lary branch usually absent ; sori small, dorsal or terminal, occupying 

 most of the areolaj.— PI. Fil. t. 127 B. 



Frequent on wet rocks in river beds among the lower hills ascending 

 to 2,000 ft. altitude, chiefly in shade. The rootstock is prostrate, about 

 as thick as strong cord, dark coloured, reaching a foot or more long. 

 The fronds are borne about a \ in. apart in a uuiform line and leave at 

 the articulate bases when they fall away peculiar truncate socket-like 

 elevations, which are permanent. 



73. P. repens, Linn — Rootstock free, or wide-creeping, as thick as 

 strong cord or a quill, clothed with deciduous dark or pale brown acu- 

 minate scales ; stipites scattered, deciduously 6caly at the base, slender, 

 usually stramineous, 1-6 in. 1. ; fronds chartaceous, pellucid, glossy, 

 dark or light green, oblong-lanceolate, 1-2 ft. 1. 1^-2^ in. w., shortly 

 tapering at the base, the apex mostly acuminate, and often attenuate, 

 rachis stramineous or brown, prominent and rounded beneath, the mar- 

 gins usually uneven and repand cartilaginous-edged ; primary veins 

 distinct on both sides, oblique, flexuose, transverse branches also slightly 

 raised, areolae 6-8 serial, wider than deep, not divided by an interme- 

 diary capillary branch ; sori pale 2-serial between the main veins, ter- 

 minal or dorsal. — PI. Fil. t. 134. 



Common in moist forests below 4,000 ft. altitude creeping and trail- 

 ing on the stems of trees and stones. This is well distinguished from 

 any of the other species by the free or wide-creeping rootstock, the 

 more or less distant fronds, relatively wider apart sori and primary 

 veins. Generally the margins are sinuate-repand, and the texture 

 hardly thicker than membrano-chartaceous. 



