I 
Ferns of British India, and Ceylon. • 211 
GENUS L.— CYRTOMIUM. {Presl) 
(Derivation not known.) * 
Indusium orbicular, peltate ; veins pinnate from a central costa, 
the lower anterior veinlets free, the rest angularly and irregularly 
anastomosing, forming unequal and subhexagonal areoles within 
which are 1-3 excurrent venules, or the upper veinlets only angularly 
anastomosing ; fronds pinnate, coriaceous. 
1. Cyrtomium falcatum. {Sw.) Stipes tufted, 6-12 inches 
long, densely clothed below with large dark scales ; fronds 1-2 feet 
long, by 6-9 inches broad, pinnate ; pinnse numerous, the lower 
ones stalked, ovate-acuminate, falcate, 4-6 inches long, by 1-2 inches 
broad, the edge entire or slightly undulated, the upper side narrowed 
suddenly, sometimes auricled, the lower rounded or obliquely trun- 
cate at the base ; texture coriaceous, both surfaces naked, the upper 
one glossy, primary veins from the midrib of the pinnse parallel to 
each other nearly to the margin, throwing off pinnately 1-2-3 times 
inarching veinlets ; sori small, copious, scattered. Swartz^ Syn. Fil. 
/. 43. Hook. Syn. Fil. 257. 
Var. ft CARYOTIDEUM. ( Wall.) Pinuulcs larger, sharply 
toothed, sometimes deeply lobed towards the base, and generally 
with a long sharp auricle on one or both sides at the base. Wall. 
Cat. 376. Bedd. F. S. I. t. 119. 
Nilgiris at the higher elevations. Himalayas from Gurwhal 
to Bhotan, 3,000-8,000 feet elevation. Khasya, 3,000-4,000 feet ; 
Ceylon. There is also a variety common on the Nilgiris known as 
microptera, which has more numerous and much smaller pinnae, 
scarcely at all auricled or lobed, but it graduates into caryotideum, 
though extreme forms look very distinct. The type of falcatum, 
which only differs slightly, is from China, Japan, South Africa, 
Sandwich Islands, and Madagascar. 
2. Cyrtomium caducum. ( Wall.) Stipes tufted, i foot 
long, firm erect, stramineous, scaly below ; main rachises sometimes 
