Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 
367 
Assam, Gowhatty, Sylhet, Furidpore (floating in jheels.) 
(Also in the Philippines, Formosa, and Malay Islands.) 
29. Pleopeltis nigrescens. {BI.) Very like longissima, but 
the wing to the rachis broader and the pinnoe broader (i-i| inches), 
rather more crisp in texture and the veins more prominent ; it is 
perhaps only a variety, but I have never seen longissima in a Vv'ild 
state. Bl. E7i. Fil. Jav. 127. 
P. longissima, Bedd. F. S. I. 
176. WalL Cat. 289, 2nd sheet 
(alternifolium). 
South India, on rocks, 
about the foot of the Western 
mountains, (foot of Sispara 
andCarcoor ghats), not ascend- 
ing the mountains to any ele- 
vation, and never growing in 
water; Ceylon. An exceed- 
ingly handsome fern. 
30. Pleopeltis dilatata. 
( Wall.) Rhizome stout creep- 
ing, paleaceous with ovate 
reticulated scales; stipes i-i 
foot and more long, but strongly 
winged the whole length by 
the decurrent base of the frond; fronds ample i|-2 and 3 feet long, 
a foot and more wide, membranaceous, light-green, glabrous, oblong- 
ovate, pinnatifid to within \-\ inch of the rachis (less towards the base), 
segments 6-1 1, 5-8 inches long (shorter towards the apex), inch 
wide, oblong-lanceolate acuminate, subentire, suddenly decurrent ; 
main veins wavy, forming large primary areoles which extend two- 
thirds of the way to the margin and include the sori, these and the rest 
of the segments are occupied by lesser irregular areoles including 
many free veinlets, their branches moderately divaricating; sori nu- 
merous, very small, often oval or more or less elongated, compital on 
PLEOPELTIS NIGRESCENS. {Bl.) 
