THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 
109 
Clarke says — “ Perhaps the commonest fern of North India, extending over 
the plains to every village.” I suspect he means this to apply to the Lower 
Provinces of Bengal. I doubt if this fern can be found in many villages in the 
dry parts of the North-Western Provinces, though I think I used to see it in 
Rohilkhand. There is a specimen at Saharanpur from Calcutta, collected by 
Clarke, and I have seen it growing on the walls of houses there. The fern 
likes water, and in swampy ground grows to a much larger size than is stated 
in the Synopsis. In Kumaun I have gathered it with fronds 8 feet long : this 
was by the bed of a stream, on limestone tufa. But P. longifolia will grow on 
dry cliffs, as it does in Mussooree, at over 6,000' elevation. Baker says — “ veins 
close and line, usually once-branched.” A second branching is very frequent, 
and in two of my specimens, from Rawalpindi and Kumaun, both infertile, 
I see that the ultimate veialets frequently unite before they reach the edge- 
forming loops. 
2. P. cretica, L. ; Syn. Fil. 154 ; C. R. 462 ; Bedd., H. B. 106. 
P. Iceta , Wall, Cat. 1)5. 
Trans.-Ind. States : Baraul and Swat , 4-6500', Harriss, Gatacre. 
Kashmir : Clarke in “ Rev. 11 ; “ common Jhelam Valley 4000' down, 11 MaoL iod in 
List ; Rattan Pir 6000', Garnmie. 
Punjab— Hazara Dist. : Black Mt.— Mackai Peak, Gatacre, Trotter (in List of 
Punjab Ferns). Chamba ; McDonell (in List); Kajiar 6500', Trotter; Mandi State. 
5-6000', Trotter ; Kullu G-8000', Trotter, Coventry ; Simla Reg. — “ very abundanu 
in certain parts of Simla, especially on the Sutlej side of the spur, between 5500, 
and 6500'. It disappears above 8000', 11 Blanf. 3500' Gamble, Collett, Bliss. 
N.-W. P. : D. D. List. — Jaunsar — Deoban Mt., Duthie’s Collector ; Rupin Valley 
4500', C. G. Rogers ; Mussooree^ 6-7000', very abundant in places; T. Garh. — Phedi 
4-5000', Duthie ; Brit. Garh. 4-5000', Duthie ; Kumaun 3000'— 8000', S. and W. 
Hope, Davidson, Duthie. 
Distrib. — Amer. ; BUorida, Mexico and Guatemala. Europe : Corsica and Sardi- 
nia, Italy, Crete, Tyrol, Caucasus. Asia : Ural, Arabia, Persia ; N. Ind. (Him.) 
Sikkim, Hook -fil. 8-9G00' ; Assam — Kohima 5500', Clarke ; Bengal — 0-6000', com- 
mon, extending far into the Plains, as at Dhaka and Chittagong, Clarke. 
S. Ind. — Deccan ; Madras Presy. — very common, from sea level up to 8000'. Ceylon. 
Burma. Malay Penins. Philippines. Fiji and Sandwich Isles. Afr. : Abyssinia 
Natal, Cape Colony, Bourbon, 
Olarke says the species is very variable, and he gives an amended description, 
intended to separate this species from P. pelliwida , Presl., and P. crenata , Sw. I 
have not seen P. peiludda growing, but I can see no resemblance to P. cretica in 
herbarium specimens of it. And P. diyitata , Wall. ( P . stenophylla , ijlk. and 
Ur.), which Mr. Baker places as a variety of P. cretica, and Clarke as a variety 
of P. peiludda (which does not grow in N.-W. India) is quite distinct from 
both. I have seen no variation in P. cretica except that rarelv a fertile frond 
