THE FERNS OF NORTH-WESTERN INDIA. 
289 
one character being the catadromous secondary pinnae at base of a sterile 
segment. Clarke finds that all the Indian material he has seen seems one 
species, with straight epidermis cells ; but he* can make very little of uhe ana- 
cata-dromous distinction. Milde finds both sets of plants in the Himalaya, and 
reckons them very distinct species. After examining all the specimens of B . 
lanuginosum in Gamble’s and my collections, I find that a decided majority is 
catadromous , but one specimen is anadromous on one side, and has pinnules 
exactly opposite each other on the other side. I think With Clarke that this 
distinction may be disregarded, — the more so that it is not needed. 
B. lanuginosum, varies very much in size, cutting, and habit. I have a 
specimen from a little below Naini Tal with stipes 4 in. and frond 5 in. 1. by 
6 in. br., and another from the hill north of Almora, grown in open pasture— 
mounted on two sheets, though minus the upper third the lower pinnae of 
which are 10—11 in. 1. by 6—9 in. br., as mounted. The next higher pair of 
pinnse are 7J and 9 in. 1. by 3£ in. br. The fertile spike k about 8 in. 1. with 
lowest pinnae 3| in. 1., tripinnate like the rest of the frond. A large frond, also 
from Kumaun, Davidson , is much more compound, and may almost be said 
to be quinquepinnate. I look upon the sterile part of the plant, taken 
together with the stipes, as the frond, and would not talk of it as a segment. 
It is a regularly pinnate frond, and the fertile spike is an extra branch or pinna, 
which does not interfere with the symmetry of the frond in other respects. 1 
am confirmed in this view of the structure of the plant by finding in Gamble’s 
collection a specimen from Ootacamund, in the Nilgiris, which, besides the 
usual fertile pinna (in this case as in all Mr. Gamble’s Nilgiri specimens, taking 
off above the second lowest pair of the frond), has a small fertile pinnule 
on one of the lower pair of pinnae taking off above the lowest pair of 
secondary pinnae or pinnules. Another curious specimen in Gamble’s collection 
from Mysore 5000', ‘‘coll. W. A. Talbot,” No. 3087, 1893, has two fronds 
springing together from the same root, about equal in size, and perfectly 
normal, each with its fertile spike. My large specimen from near Almora has 
some sori on the sterile pinnae, one cluster of six on the fourth pinna from the 
base, and several others here and there. I think a similar case was mentioned 
lately in the Journal of Botany with regard to another species of BotrycMum. 
B. lanuginosum has a thick rhizome and thick, fleshy roots, and is a terres- 
trial fern ; but, like various other plants of the Himalayan forests, it is some- 
times found growing in the clefts of branches of trees, sometimes high up. 
I have two specimens from Assam which are quite glabrous. 
