THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 
39 
No. 349, A. appendiculatum , Wall, in the Linnean Society’s Herbarium — 
“ Aspid. No. 29 : Legi in Napalia 18-2 1,” named by Mr. Clarke — N. canum 
Baker, v. prolixum. Baker, is N. repens ; there is no rhizome, but the frond is 
suddenly diminished, to mere short linear auricles, not butterfly-shaped : one 
frond is aurieled for 2 If in. 
Mr. Blanford never gave JN. canum, Baker, as other than a synonym of 
N. prolixum, and io his published paper (Journ. Asiat. Sou. Bengal, 1888) he 
said — “ I include herewith the forms from Simla that have been referred to 
N. canum , the type of which is a specimen of unknown origin, grown at Kew, 
and having sub-marginal sori.” (I may here remark that there are several 
pot plants in the Kew Temperate Ferd-house ticketed JN. canum , which are 
downy enough, but they have not creeping rhizomes and have stipes densely 
tufted, as Baker’s description says.) But in their joint “ Supplementary Note on 
the Ferns of Northern India,” read before the Linn. Soc., 3rd November 1887, 
Mr. Clarke and Mr. Baker gave' “ 28. Nephr oclium canum , Hook and 
Baker ; C, B. Clarke in Trans. Linn. Soc., ser. 2, Bot., Vol. I, p. 515. 
Simla, II. Blanford ; rhizomate horizontal brevi : sed in JN. prolixo type. 
C. B. Clarke No.44652 rhizoma omnino simile videri potest.” This shows 
that the Simla specimen from Blanford had a creeping rhizome, because 
Clarke’s No. 44652 has ; though the entry seems intended to confirm the 
remarks made by Mr. Clarke in his “ Review,” 1880, in which he gave 
N. canum as a distinct species (No. 6) with tufted stipes — “ I fear this is only 
a variety of N. prolixum .” w I can find no good distinction.” 
Mr. Clarke then gave Aspidhm appendiculatum , Wall., as a synonym of 
JN. canum , and remarked—* Of A. appendiculatum, Wallich collected 
a large series ; the type sheet in his Herbarium is JN. canum, Baker 
type.” 
Of JN. prolixum , Baker, to ' which he attributed N. canum Baker, and 
N. ochthodes, Kze., as synonyms, Mr. Blanford wrote in an early paper, which 
was only privately distributed : — 
“ Not uncommon in ravines below 6,000 feet.” . . . “ It differs in some 
respects from the descriptions of Clarke and Beddome. The eaudex is 
decumbent, or shortly creeping, not erect.” . . . “The lowest pair - of 
pinnae (sometimes two or three pairs) shorter, then suddenly reduced to 
auricles.” . . . “ What the JN. canum may he, collected by Thomson 
and Edgeworth in the neighbourhood of Simla, unless herbaceous, 
glandVss specimens of JN. prolixum , I will not venture to surmise.” . . . 
“ I think it promble then that the Simla specimens of N. canum are 
simply N. prolixum f 
