THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 
247 
costm : the stipes are incomplete, and there is no rhizome. Tectaria elonyata , 
Cav., is quoted in the leones as a synonym. The following remarks are made, 
after the technical description : — 
“ This fern appears to be very little known to botanists, and we are much 
indebted to the Rev. R. T. Lowe for sending us five specimens gathered in 
Madeira, at Ribeiro d’Amestade, at an elevation of 3,000 feet above the level of 
the sea, and from which our figure and description have been made. These, 
too, we have had an opportunity of comparing with an authentic specimen of 
Mr. Masson’s, and thus determining it to be the Poly podium of the Hortits 
KewensisP None of the authors, Aiton, Swartz, and Hooker and Greville, give 
any habitat for the plant, except the islands of the Macaronesian group ; and as 
there is plenty of specimens in the Kew Herbarium, from Lowe and other 
collectors, named N. elongatum , there can be no dispute as to what the type 
plsmt is. As the plant was in cultivation in the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 
Alton’s time, and as it has a place in the Hand- List of Ferns and Fern Allies 
cultivated in the Royal Gardens, and it would be interesting to compare the 
fronds now growing with the old Herbarium specimens, and others more 
recently collected in Madeira, I have tried to find the plant referred to in the 
List, but without success. No one in the Gardens seems to know of the 
existence of the plant, or to be able to find it. The Growing ferns are not 
arranged according to any system of classification, and they are t herefore not so 
available for study as they might be. But I am safe in challenging any one to 
show any connection between N. elongatum and N. marginatum, Walk 
23. N. sparsum, Don (under Aspidium) ; Syn. Fil. 276 ; C. R. 523. 
Lastrea sparsa , Don, Bedd. H. B. 252, 
Punjab : Chamba State—- Ravi Valley-Langera 6500', McDonell 1882. 
N.-W. P. : T. Garh. — Duthie 1877. Herschel 1878-79 ; Phaidi, E. of Landour 
5-6000', Duthie 1881 ; Kumaun— near Askot 4-5000', Duthie 1884. 
Distrib. — Asia : N. Ind. (Him.), Sikkim and Bhutan; Assam— very common 
eastward." C. Prov.— Pachmarhi, Duthie. S. Ind. — Mahableshwar ; “ abundant on 
all the western Mts., and on the hills on eastern side" ( Beddome ). Ceylon. Thibet 
H. E. Hobson, Burma, Malay Isles. N. China Yunnan — Henry. Formosa. Java — 
Raoiborski. Borneo. 
Mr. McDonell’s fern from Chamba seems very different from the Garhwal 
plant. It is very elegant in cutting, and, though small, is all but tripinnate ; 
stipes and rhachis reddish in colour : it is perhaps a distinct species. The 
Garhw&l plant is hardly bipinnate. 
24. N. crenatum, Baker, FI. Mauritius 497. Polypodium crenatum, 
Forsk. N. odoratum , Baker, Syn. Fil. 280. N. crenatum , C. B. Clarke, G. R. 
524. Lastrea crenata , Forsk. (under Polypodium), Bedd. H. B. 258. 
Punjab; Hazara Dist.— near Kalapani 6000', Trotter 1890; — Chamba State , 
McDonell ; 6-7000' Trotter ; Mandi State 5-6000', Trotter ; Simla Reg. — Simla to 
Kamalhori Mt., and Sutlaj Valley, il-8500'or higher, Gamble, Hope, Bliss, 
H 
