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170. Polypodium Thwaitesii, Beddome. 
Bed. 11, t. 188. good for C. P. 3900. “Caudex creeping, clothed with 
lanceolate scales, fronds sessile (on all the specimens before me, the fronds 
have a winged base which gradually decreases until it reaches the caudex, 
but the figure does not show the fronds sessile , W. F.), rigidly membran- 
aceous, perfectly glabeous, 2-4 inches long, 1 inch wide, lanceolate, deeply 
almost to the costa pinnatifid, segments 3-6 lines long, 1-2 lines broad, sin- 
uato pinnatifid, lower ones gradually smaller, veins pinnate, veinlets simple, 
or rarely forked, where simple soriferous at the apex or a little below it, 
where forked the superior veinlet is soriferous.” 
“I received this specimen from Ceylon where it has just been detected 
by Mr. Thvvaites, who considers it the true P. parvulum of Bory ; on coin - 
paring it, however, with authenticated specimens of that species from/ 
Mauritius, I find that it wants the warty stipes of that plant, the uenation" 
is different, and the segments of the frond are generally sinuato -pinnatifid 1 
instead of entire. Mr. Th waites informs me it is very sweet scented.” 
It will be seen above that Baker quotes this fern, and C. P. 1290 for 
P. repandulum, Mett. The thick, shaggy, wide creeping caudex of C. P. 
3900, separate it from any other Ceylon fern of this group. 
My specimens of it are from the Nilambe forests above Le Vallou, 
and Baxava in Dolosbagie, and I have fine ones from Rakwane from Mr. 
Buxton Laurie ; and in respect to the scent of it, this gentleman and Major 
Hutchinson agree with me that it has the smell of Rhubarb, or of with- 
ering vegetation, but not a pleasant one. 
Whether 128, N. (L.) odoratum, is a fragrant fern I do not know, but 
the notes on 40, Lindsaya cultrata, prove that it is a delightfully fragrant 
fern when in a drying state. 
171. Poly podium subfalcatum, Blume. 
Bed. l.t. 166, and II, t. 189 fig. A for the hairy form of this fern, and perhaps 
II. t. 76, which is said to be an undescribed fern. It would be quite a study to try 
and disentangle the confusion respecting the nomenclature of this fern, P par- 
vulum, and P. repandulum in Beddome’s letter-press, and index. The C. P. 
1290 specimens from Peradeniya, and from Beckett, agree for most of those 
collected by myself, and for Bed. 11. t. 189, B., but I have some specimens 
of the more hairy form which may be the C. P. 3073 of which I have not 
seen any specimen. It will be seen from the notes on 169 and 170 that 
Baker quotes the C. P. 1290 and 3900, for P. repandulum, Mett. evidently a 
mistake. P. parvulum is given in Syn Fil. as a Ceylon fern, whilst P. sub- 
falcatum is not, but it is now clear that P. parvulum, Bory, is not in Cey- 
lon, but that P. subfalcatum, Bl. is a common fern growing on the trunks 
of trees in the forests of the Central Province. See notes on 166/1, 167, 169 
and 170. “This includes P. minutum, Syn. Fil. 2nd. ed. p. 328, as far at least - 
as the Ceylon plant is concerned. Beddome. 
172. Polypodium decorum, Brack. 
Bed. 1. 238. fig. A. good. This is a small handsome fern found in the 
Singhe-rajah forests and Hinidoon Pattoo by Mr. Thwaites. Found in great 
abundance on trunks of trees and on stones in forests near Hewissa in a 
trip in company with Major Hutchinson. (P. minutum, Bl. , Syn. Fil. Nos. 
151. p. 328, and P. fuscatum, Bl. Bed. II. t. 324, Syn. Fil. p. 331, and both 
said to be Ceylon ferns, are not known to be so by any Ceylon authority.) 
173. Polypodium (Niphobolus) adnasoens, Sw. 
Bed. 1. t. 184 very bad. Swartz Syn Fil. t. II. fig. 2 good, in some 
respects. This fern and 201, Drymoglossum piloselloides, are the most com- 
mon ferns in Colombo, generally covering the trunks of coconut and other trees, 
and I notice that coconut trees covered by either of them, seldom bear fruit 
