Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 189 
into the other even in their restricted areas, and that others are 
geographical varieties which would not be constant in cultivation, and 
secondly, because I think any attempt to separate them into species 
would only add to the present confusion, it being a task that should 
only be undertaken after a cultivation of all the different forms. 
Mr. Clarke has proposed the subgenus Fseud.-AUcmtodia 
for the species with allantodioid sori and free veins, but I am afraid 
these allantodioid sori are not constant or to be depended on, 
Australe^ from the Nilgiris, has the sori often quite allantodioid as 
figured by me, tab. 158, F. S. I. ; but I have specimens where all 
the sori are perfectly diplazioid ; again, I 
have specimens of Asplenium resectum, 
from two different localities, with nearly all \ 
the sori allantodioid. J 
Var. australe. [R. Br.) Stipes \j 
often muricate; fronds 3-pinnatifid, often ^ 
rather flaccid in texture, ultimate segments 
broad and blunt, sori sometimes quite al- diplazium uairrosum, var. 
lantodioid, at other times quite asplenioid australe, {R. Br.) 
or diplazioid ; rhizome creeping or erect. Athyrium australe, Bedd. 
F. S. F t. 158. Dipiaz. bellum, Clarke, F. N. I. p. 496. Diplaz. 
multicaudatum, var. tristis, Clarke, I. c. p. 512. 
Sikkim, Bhotan ; Khasya ; Nilgiris and other mountain forests, 
5,000-7,000 feet, in South India ; Birma. 
(Also in Australia and Tropical Africa.) 
Var. procerum. ( Wall) Rhizome creeping ; stipes muricate ; 
fronds very large, moderately firm in texture, primary pinnas up to 
nearly 2 feet long, secondary pinn^ 5-5^ inches, again pinnated 
with the pinnules about i inch long, and pinnatifid about half-way to, 
the rachis ; segments oblong, crenate ] veinlets in the segments once 
forked ; sori mostly in two rows, near and parallel to the midrib, 
but other very short sori are scattered on the segments ; indusium 
allantodioid. Wall. Cat. 2203. Hook. Syn. Fil. 489. Dipl. pro- 
cerumj Clarke, 495. 
