Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 
355 
thick as a crowquill, scales lanceolate-linear, brown spreading; stipes 
4-8 inches long, firm, erect, slightly scaly below ; fronds 6-12 inches 
long, up to 3 inches broad, ovate-lanceolate, the apex acute, the 
margin entire, the base narrowed suddenly, texture herbaceous, both 
sides glabrous ; main veins distinct to nearly the edge, with copious 
areoles including free forked veinlets ; sori large irregularly scattered 
near the costa. Polypodium ovatum, Wall. Cat. 276. Jlook. Sy?i. 
FiL 359. Bedd. F. B. I. t. 157. 
Sikkim, Chundaghiri, Bhotan, 
Khasya, 4,000 feet elevation, at 
Bishop's Falls, Shillong, rare. 
16. Pleopeltis membranacea. 
{Don) Rhizome short-creeping, 
stout, the younger portion palea- 
ceous, with blackish-green ovate 
acuminate scales ; stipes distant or 
subaggregated, 1-5 inches long, if 
longer winged above with the de- 
current base of the frond ; fronds 
6 inches to 2-3 feet long, by less 
than an inch to 6 inches broad, 
thin membranaceous and translu- 
cent, lanceolate or oblong-lanceo- 
late, or oblanceolate, acuminate, 
the base long attenuated and much 
gradually decurrent upon the stipes, 
glabrous, the margin entire (or rarely more or less deeply sinuate- 
lobate or pinnatifid, and even fimbriated throughout the whole 
length with long narrow unequal segments) ; venation very distinct, 
main veins horizontal or nearly so, slender, usually remote, connected 
by transverse veins which form the primary areoles, and these are 
filled up with irregular net-work, of which the areoles are very unequal 
and include copious free veinlets; sori compital, rather small, usually 
in two series between the costules, more or less numerous according 
PLEOPELTIS GrIFFITHIANA. {Hooh. 
