143 
THE FERNS OF NORTH WESTERN INDIA. 
N.-W. P. : T. Garh.— 8-13,000, Mackinnons and Duthie ; B. Garh. 9-10,000 
Duthie ; Kumaun 7-13,000', Davidson, Duthie, MacLeod. 
Nepal, W. : 10-11,000', Duthie. 
Distrib. — N. Amer. : Canada and U. S. A. Atia : N. Ind. (Him.) Sikkim and 
Bhotan. Japan, Faurie. China — YUnnan, Henry and Delhvay ; N. Shensi. 
Giraldi. Amur Land. 
I do nob think the description in the Synopsis Filicum is altogether accurate, 
for the Himalaya plant at least ; because I cannot find any double (diplazoid) sori 
at the basis of the pinna?. Nor should I say, looking at the Himalaya plant, 
that the species is u easily distinguished by its long sori in very regular 
rows.” The involucres, especially near the main rhachis, are often very narrow 
in proportion to their length when in advance of or failing the development of 
the sporangia, and then they look long ; but when the fructification is well 
developed, the sori look broad and short. They are longish, however, in some 
American specimens. The veins are generally quite straight where the sori are ; 
but the inner or dehiscing side of the involucre is more or less curved, according 
to its width, so that its shape is more less segmental, sometimes nearly semi- 
circular : Colonel Beddome describes the sori as short, oblong. Towards the 
apex of the frond, and the apices of the upper pinnae, the sori begin to vary in 
shape, some being curved across the vein, some didymochlsenoid, and some 
short-diplazoid — :. e., the returning half of the sorus and involucre is quite 
separated by the vein from the basal half. In this case the upper part of the 
involucre is hardly as long as the lower. I look upon these variations in the 
form of the sorus and involucre as of importance only as showing that there is 
no sound distinction, in shape of sorus at least, between Hmsplenium, Athyrium , 
and Diplazium , unless the last sub-genus be restricted to the plants which have 
long, narrow, double sori, such, e. g., as A. lanceum , Thunb., and A. lantammse , 
Baker. Asplenium (Dipl.) japonicum is almost as much Athyrium as is 
A . ihelypteroides , or A. McDonelli . I agree with Mr. Clarke that no varieties 
or even forms can be made out of this fern ; but Dr. Christ, in a paper written 
jointly by him and Dr. Baroni, published at Florence in 1897, on the Ferns 
and Fern-allies of the Shea Si Province of China, has set up a new species — A. 
Giraldi. A comparison of the specimen of this new species which Dr. Christ 
sent to Kew with A. thelyptmides shows no variation whatever from the 
latter-named species. A. thelyptmides is gregarious, and careful examination 
would probably show that the rhizome is slowly creeping, though thick, and the 
plants in a bed may be connected. 
19. A. McDonelli, Bedd. in Journ. Bot., March 1889, p. 73, under 
Athyrium . Athyrium McDonelli, Bedd., H. B. Suppt. 34. Plate- XXI. 
Kashmir : Paajab 5500', Baniar— Harpat-Rai N41a 5000', Kitardaji 6000', 
McDoaell, August 1891 ; Lol&b Valley : Bamahama and Aud’rbug 45-6000, MacLeod, 
September 1891. 
