within a few miles of Colombo. But for the digitate fertile ends of its fronds, 
it might be easily mistaken for one of the grasses. It is one of those collected in 
Ceylon in 1660 by Paul Hermann, and described in the Flora zeylanica of Linnseus. 
^ V 215. Lygodium dick ok mum, Sw. 
Aet-Pamba. Sinhalese. Bed. 1. t. 62. When in full fruit, and hanging 
down in festoons from a height of 25 to 30 feet, this is one of the most 
beautiful ferns known. Tt is found in rich clayey soil on the edges of forests, 
about 20 miles from Colombo, and from the fact that it generally climbs up 
on some tree, and has its fertile fronds at the tops of the stems, it is often 
not detected, whilst the next two species are the most common climbers in 
sw'ampy places, and in fences within a few miles of Colombo, and no traveller 
can visit the places where they grow without being struck by their beauti- 
ful fringed-like fronds. This fern can easily be distinguished from either of 
the next two by its larger and stouter stems, and the long somewhat palmate 
divisions of its fronds. 
216. Lygodium scandens, Linn. 
Maha-Pamba, Sinhalese. Bed. l.t .61. This and the next one were collected in 
Ceylon by Paul Herman in 1660, and described in the Flora Zeylanica by Linneus. 
They are the most common climbing plants in swamps m the Cinnamon Gardens, 
on the roads to Kotte, Kelaniya Temple, and all about Colombo. The specific name 
“ Scandens ” is a most unfortunate one for a genus where all the species are scand- 
ent, but the rule is to stick to the first specific name under which a plant has 
been properly described, so that the utterly scentless white flowered Thunbergia 
fragrance , Box, so common in Ceylon must retain its name. This fern can 
easity be distinguished from the next one by its generally cordate small divisions 
of the fronds, the ferule ones of which are beautifully fringed with the 
peculiar fruit. Mt Pamba, meaning Elephantine, and agreeing for our gi- 
gantic, may be a good name for 215, but why this one should be called 
Malm , great, I do not know, as it is the smallest of the three species. See 
notes on the next one. 
217. Lygodium pinnatifiduin, Sw. 
Heen-Pamba, Sinhalese. Bed. 1. t. 63. This fern grows generally in the 
same places as the last one, and is easily distinguished from it by its larger 
fronds, especially the barren one. It vies with it in beauty when in full fruit. 
It is a singular fact that these two plants should be almost invariably 
used by the Sinhalese to make their scare- crows, which are called Pambeya, 
but whether they are so called because made of the Pamba-plants, or whether 
the latter are so called from the fact that they are made into scare-crows, 
I do not know. The stems of both are used in the interior to lay under a 
coating of the leaves of the small bamboo-plant, the batalee, Bheesa stridula, 
for thatching houses. During upwards of thirty years I have noticed that the 
natives who carry charcoal in Pingos from the interior to be sold in Colombo, 
invariably have a heap above the baskets, but surrounded by the stems of 
these two Pambas. I have often asked the question why they could not use 
baskets large enough to carry the proper quantity without the use of the 
stems of the Pambas, but never got a satisfactory answer, although I have 
no doubt there is some good reason for this practice. 
Sob-Order V. Marattiacme. 
218, Angiopteris evecta, Hoffrn. 
Bed. 1. 1. 78. This is a common fern from near the coast to an elevation 
of 5,000 feet. It has a very thick caudex, and when growing in 
rich 5 masses of vegetable soil on the banks of streams in the interior, its 
large ample fronds vie with those of the tree ferns. 
°It is a fine fern and grows easily in Colombo in a large mass of good 
soil when well looked after. 
