THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 
31 
be called serrate, much less spinoso-serrated ” (Syn. Fil.), or “ spinosely- 
serrated or crenate-serrate ” (Bedd.). Clarke says— 1 ‘‘ Margin crenate-serrate, 
scarcely spinulose.” I should say certainly not spinulose. The pinnae of 
neither plant are auriculate, as those of most Polystichurns are. The distinguish- 
ing features of A. Duthiei are — the short and stiff stipes and stout rhachis ; the 
dense covering of disproportionately large, very pale, scales : and the white 
setae on the upper surface, and the coriaceous texture. Judging from the 
few plants which have been gathered, some with few fronds" left on them, but 
with numerous stumps of thick stipes, this species produces larger fronds than 
have yet been seen. 
Genus 23-NEPHRODIUM, Rich 
Subgenus — Lastrea, Presl. 
4. Neplirodium Gamble! , n. sp. — Plants isolated ; caad . erect or 
suberect ; st. stout, 9 — 24 in. 1., densely clothed throughout with long dull-brown 
scales up to 1 J in. 1. by in. br., which diminish in size rapidly and get 
darker in colour above two or three inches from the rhizome ; rh. similarly 
clothed throughout with dark brown or black hair-like scales which extend a 
short way along the sec. rh. ; fr. simply pinnate, l-?> — 3 ft. I by 9 — 13 in. 
br. ; j mm. up to 30 — 3o pairs, very shortly ^talked, cordate with bases some- 
times overlapping the prim, rh., narrow 7 , generally broadest at base owing to 
enlargement of lowest pair of segments, above that — § in. br., hardly nar- 
rowed below middle of length, and above that gradually to a not very acuminate 
point, cut down £ — Jfch towards sec. rh. into numerous segments, one for each 
main vein with margins rounded upwards from the sinus, the lower afterwards 
running parallel with the sec. rh. to an ogival mucronate point, margin some- 
times undulate and slightly toothed ; teiture coriaceous, brittle when dried ; van. 
pinnate in the segments, lowest pair of veinlets taking off at or near costa of 
pinna and curving upwards to near the sinus, but sometimes stopping much short 
of it and then often not soriferous, others running into the lobes, and all stopping 
short of the margin and having thickened ends ; son small, 2 — S to a segment, 
on lowest pah* of veinlets and next veinlet above, appearing grouped in triplets— 
two sori belonging to one segment and the third to the next superior segment 
invol. shrivelling on top of ripe sori, but often persistent. (Plate YII — drawn 
from a Darjeeling specimen.) 
Punjab: Simla Reg.—" Above Simla, Col. Bate?, 11 fide Hooker in Herb. Hort. 
Kew. “Lastrea atrata V. Wall.” N.-W. P. : “ Garhwal P. W. Mackinnon 1881 ; 
Kuivaun—S. and W. 1848, No. 3. 
Distrib . — Asia : N. Ind. (Him,) Sikkim — Darjeeling G-7000', Gamble 1879, Nos, 
6968 and 7075, Lev. 1899, 7000' ; Bhotan — Dhumsong 6000', Gamble 1876, No. 254 ; 
Assam— -Shillong, Clarke 44635, 1886. 
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