11 
Pteeis, Linnceus Gen. PL 780. 
(Thelypteris ^(frtjwon; Oetosis NecJcer ; Cincinalis Gleditsch ; Monogonia Presl. ; Eupteris Agardh; Ornithopteris Agardh ; 
Pteridopsis Zin^ ; Lytoneurou A7otee6 ; Pycnodoria /"res^. ; Lonchitideum /^'et; ; Pelloese sp. //oo/ter.) 
Sori iiidusiate, marginal, linear, continuous or interrupted ; the receptacles linear transverse, uniting the apices of the veins. 
Indusium of the same form membranaceous Veins simple or forked from a central costa. Venules free. 
Fronds varying from pedate to decompound, often very large herbaceous or coriaceous, Rhizome short erect or creeping some 
times much elongated (Moore.) 
1. Pteris qua.diiam-ita Retz. ohs. VI. p. 38. Caudex short erect, fronds glabrous or with a few hairs vei-y variable as to 
size ovato or cordato-ovate acuminate coriaceo-membranaceous, pinnate pinnae 4 to many, generally opposite, more or less pinnatifid 
generally deeply, segments oblong obtuse entire or serrated, pinnoe sometimes pinnatifid to the apex, sometimes ending in a long tail like 
entire or serrated termination, lowest pair of pinnae (or rarely 2 lowest pair) bi-partite (or rarely bearing several pinnae on the lower side) 
veins free, forked, basal ones terminating at or above the sinus indusium occupying nearly the whole length of the margin of the segments — 
stipes elongated smooth or scabrous.— Pteris nemoralis. Jlook. Gen. Fil. t. 54 Pteris biaurita var. Sw. Syn. Fil. p. 98; Pt. 
calcarata, Bory in Bel. voy. p. 42. 
Var. B. Argentea fronds white mottled. 
Var. y. rubro-nerva. Stipes glabrous or scabrous and together Avith the rachis and veins deep carmine colored costa above 
covered with pinkish hairs, indusium only occupying a small portion of the margin of the segments. Pteris rubro-nerva of hot houses in 
England Pteris aspericaulis Wallich ? ( This is perhaps a distinct species from Pteris quadriaurita. 
The normal form is very common everywhere in the Western side of the Presidency from the sea level to the highest elevations. 
Var. B. argentea — is much rarer (and is never met with in the plains) Nilgiris, Nediwattan, Avalanche, Sisparah ghat. 
Var. y. rubro-nerva — rare — Anamallays. Mr. Ouchterlony's ghat below Nediwattan or the Nilgiris. 
PLATE No. XXXI. (Normal form.) 
2. Pteris jyelbicens. Agardh; Fronds membranaceous furnished above wih a few subulate scales on the rachis of the pinnae 
and with hairs on the rachis of the segments, ternately divided, lateral divisions multipinnate, pinnae short petiolate or subsessile lanceo- 
late acuminate deeply pinnatifid to the apex or with the apex long caudate, segments oblong obtuse subtruncate, serrated at the sterile por- 
tion at their apices, sori lateral on the segments never extending to the apex or base, veins rather remote all forked— basal ones arising 
from the axil of the costula and extending to the margin much above the sinus, stipes and rachis pale brown. Ag. sp. Gen. Pt. p. 43 ; 
Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 191 ; Pteris intermedia. Bl. En. Fil. Jan. p. 211 1 
Anamallays 2500 to 4000. Coimbatorc hills — Carcoor ghat — by no means common. 
PLATE No. XXXIL 
3. Pteris longifolia Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1531. 
Caudex short stout knotty, fronds 1-2 feet long lanceolate attenuated below, pinnate, pinnules numerous approximate linear- 
lanceolate elongated, gradually acuminated, terminal one sometimes the largest and petiolate, the base truncate or cordate auriculate, 
or even hastate, lower pinnules gradually smaller — Stipes more or less chaffy. Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 157 ; — Pt. costata. Bory in Belang Voy. 
Pt. vittata, Willd. ;— Pt. obliqua, Forsk ;— Pt. lanceolata, Desf. ;— Pt. ensifolia, Sw. ;— Pt. Alpinii, Dcso. ;— Pt. semihirta, Lk. ;— Pt. 
acuminatissima, 5/. ;— Pt. amplectens, TFa^f'. ;— Pt. diversifolia, ,S'(c. ;— Pt. trapezoides, Burm. ;—Vi. microdonta, Gaud. ;—?t. tenui- 
folia, Brock. 
Banks of a river close to Coimbatore. 
PLATE No. XXXIIL 
4. Pteris semipinnata Linn ; -S'^'. PI. p. 1534. 1-3 feet high, caudex stout creeping villoso-squamose fibrous rooted, 
fronds broad-lanceolate acuminate sub-membranaceous pellucid pinnate, superior pinnae approximate linear-oblong sessile at the base 
adnate and decurrenti-confluent, lateral ones distant sub-petiolate semi-ovate superior margin entire, inferior sub-pectinato-pinnatifid 
