282 Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 
fern {Sy77. Fil. 291) is, as far as the Kew specimen of Wall. Cat. 
348 is concerned, Lastrea ochthodes. Aspidium multijugum, Wall. 
Cat. 348, in the Linnaean Herbarium is, however, Nephrodium ex- 
tensum, typical, though referred by Clarke to molle as a variety. 
Nephrod. Hoenkianum [F?^esl.), given in Syn. Fil. p. 291, as a Ceylon 
fern, does not occur in that island or in our limits. 
GENUS LV.— NEPHROLEPIS. {Sc/iotf.) 
{IVeJy/iivs, kidney ; lepis, scale — the indusium kidney-shaped and 
scale-like.) 
Sori round, arising from the apex of the upper branch of a vein, 
generally near the edge; indusium reniform or roundish; veins 
forked, free clavate ; fronds simply pinnate with the pinnae articu- 
lated at the base, furnished with white cretaceous dots on the upper 
surface. 
1. Nephrolepis cordifolia. i^Linn. under Poly po dining Cau- 
dex suberect, the wiry fibres often bearing tubers ; stipes tufted, wiry, 
1-4 inches long, slightly scaly ; fronds up to 2 feet, pinnate; pinnae 
numerous, crowded, often imbricated, i-ii inch long, by inch 
broad, usually blunt ; margin entire or slightly crenate, the under 
side lounded or cordate, the upper distinctly auricled at the base ; 
texture rather coriaceous ; rachis scaly, both sides nearly glabrous ; 
sori about half-way between the midrib and margin in a single row ; 
indusium firm, persistent, lunate or reniform. Poly podium cor- 
difolium, Z. Sp. PL 1549. Nephrolepis tuberosa {PresL), Hook. 
Sp. Fil. iv. 151. Fedd F S. I. t 92. 
Throughout the Indian region up to 5,000 feet elevation. 
(Also in the tropics of the whole world, and in Japan and 
New Zealand.) 
2. Nephrolepis exaltata. i^Linn. tmder Poly podium) Rhi- 
zome suberect ; stipes tufted, 4-6 inches long, firm, slightly scaly ; 
fronds up to nearly 3 feet long, pinnate ; pinnae rather close, 
