Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 249 
pinnae lanceolate, cut down nearly (scarcely ever quite) to the rachis 
into close, blunt, regular segments which are subentire, crenate, or 
serrulate, lower pinnae sometimes gradually reduced, sometimes not 
at all so ; texture generally more or .less coriaceous, rachis scaly or 
glabrous, under surface generally naked, sometimes fibrillose, veins 
forked, or the lower ones pinnate, sori medial, involucre large, reniform 
1551- 
glabrous. Polyp. Filix-mas, L. Sp.PL 
p. 272; Sp. Fil. iv. 116. Lastrea 
odontoloma. Bedd. F. S.I. t 11 (typical 
Filix-mas). Clarke, F. N. I. p. 519. 
Throughout the Indian region, but 
generally confined to considerable ele- 
vations on the mountains. 
(Also found throughout the world 
(in temperate places) except in Australia 
and America south of Peru). 
VaR. /3 PARALLELOGRAMMA. {Hook. 
Sp. Fil. iv. 116.) Pinnate, rarely 
sub-bipinnate, pinnae often reduced 
towards the base, segments oblong-pa- 
rallelogram, generally close and com- 
pact, entire, crenated or serrated. 
I include under this as sub-varieties, 
patentissima, fibrillosa, apiciflora, nidus, 
and Clarkei. Taking patentissima (com- 
mon throughout the Indian region) as the 
type, they all show very slight differences, 
and these are not constant ; apiciflora, 
which has generally been made a dis- 
tinct species, is remarkable on account of the sori being confined to 
the apex of its segments ; Mr. Clarke has, however, found it frequently 
with the sori scattered, though he says it can be distinguished by being 
remarkably free from fibrillae and hairs, but I have specimens which I 
gathered, near DarjeeHng, with fibrillae on all the veins beneath ; 
the fronds are generally more truncate at the base than patentissima, 
LASTREA FILIX-MAS. (Z.) 
VAR. NIDUS. {Clarhc.) 
