( 46 ) 
The Brisbane specimens bear a general resemblance to 134. N. setigerum, the 
specimen from Victoria has the “deep purplish brown and densely viscid 
raehis ” of the var. P. ruyuhsum, whilst a specimen from New Zealand marked 
Bypolepis distans, does not differ from this last one, except in the light color of 
its raehis. 
160. Poly podium (Gonioptens) urophyllum, Walk 
Bed. 1. t. 239. “Forest of the Central Province not uncommon ” Thwaites 
En. p. 394. Found in forest near Kitloolamulla, and Uduw’ella, but evidently 
a rare fern. At. II. t. 133, for Nephrodium lineatum, Beddome remarks, “It 
is almost exactly similar to Goniopteris urophylla, except that it is always 
indusioid as Sir W. Hooker observes, it is very startling how some ferns of i 
the Aspidioid group exactly resemble others of the tribe Polypodium, the presence 
or absence of the indiusium being almost the only distinction.” And again at 
11. t. 220 for Nephrodium costatum, he observes, “If the Ceylon fern (l.t. 230) I 
is found to have involucres it cannot be separated from Nephrodium lineatum, 1 
Presl. (11. t. 133.) My Ceylon specimens of Goniopteris urophylla (though 
young and good) show no trace of an involucre, but it is very distinctly visi- 
ble in my Himalayan specimen of Nephrodium lineatum, there is nothing else j 
to distinguish the two ferns (vide remarks at p. 133) And yet the figures ' 
seem very different in many respects. Under P. (G.) urophyllum, Baker says, 
“this resembles on the one hand Nephrodium glandulosum, and on the other 
Meniscium cuspidatum, and is very doubtfully distinct from the latter ” and ! 
again under this latter fern he says, “very probably a Menisciod form of 
Polyp, urophyllum, with which Hooker united it.” If the mathematical axiom, 
“ that things which are equal to the same things, be equal to each other” then 
I do not envy the Botanist who has to separate or unite ferns like the ones j 
mentioned above. 
161. Polypodium (Goniopteris) proliferum, Presl. 
Bed. 1. t. 172, At addenda, &c., in En. PI. Zeyd. p. 439, this one is sup- 
posed to be a state of C. P. 3,145, Meniscium Thwaitesii, Hk. 194, but the 
two are described in Syn. Fil. as distinct ferns. In a note by Mr. Wall in 
my M. S. list, I see that he puts down C. P. 3,916 for P. (G. ) proliferum so 
that it is a Ceylon fern, though Baker does not state it to be so. I have seen 
no specimen of it. 
Polypodium (Goniopteris lineatum, Colebr. given as a Ceylon fern on the au- 
thority of a specimen in the Hookerian Herbarium from the late General Walker, 
En. Pi. Zeyl. p. 439. is described in Syn Fil. as a Ceylon fern, but no spe- 
cimen of it seems to have been found in the island by subsequent collectors. 
162. Poly podium parasiticusn, Mett. 
Bed, 1, t. 165. Agreeing with C. P- 3921, marked on the specimen, “ Var — 
latiusculum.” I have seen no other specimen of this number. It is not un- 
like the next one in general appearance, but more coriaceous in texture. 
The narrow, and almost glabrous form marked C. P. 1283, seems a com- 
mon plant in the Central Province, and near Hewissa. 
Found growing in moss on the branches and stems of Coffee plants and 
stones on Hatella and Kallibokka Estates, near Langdale in Dimbulla, and 
in great abundance on moist rocks along a stream near Hewissa. Those from 
the latter place have fronds from 2g to 3^ in. long, and only about ^ in broad, 
and look very unlike Beddome’s figure quoted above. One of my Kallibokka 
specimens is quite zigzag, and has thrown out an abortive pinna at the angle of 
each of the bends, but I find that several of the simple fronded and pinnate spe- 
cies are occasionally, either bifurcated or bipinnate, but these must be looked 
upon as abnormal forms. It is not unlikely that two species are included here. 
163. Polypodium birtelium, B 1 . 
Bed. 11. t. 172 P. lasiosorum, Hk, and 11. t. 212, C. P. 3902 was found 
by Mr. Thwaites at Bogawantalawa, at an elevation of 5,000 feet; my speci- 
