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119. Nephrodium (Lastrea) Beddoraei, Baker. 
Bed. 1. t. 110. This is an abundant fern in gullies on the right han^a 
side of the road in the Neura Eliya Plains on the way to Hackgalla, and 
found in company with Lindsaya cultrata No.' 40. It was figured by Beddome 
as Lastrea gracilescens, but it is quite distinct, and peculiar to Ceylon. 
120. Nephrodium (Lastrea) prolixum, Baker. 
Bed. 1. t. 107, not good, for the variety tylodes, with the sori in 
a line close to the midrib. A small form of this fern is very com- 
mon on the banks of streams in Maussakellie, large ones found more spar- 
ingly in the edges of jungle in the same place, and near Mattakellie, Dimbula. 
Baker remarks : — “ Dr. Thwaites regards tylodes and ochthodes as probably distinct 
species. The two are figured by Beddome tt. 106-7.” There can be no doubt 
that Thwaites, Baker and Beddome have mixed up several species under the 
names tylodes and ochthodes. Bed. 1. t. 106 for ochthodes , is surely a form of 
N. molle, and Th waite’s C. P. 975 for ochthodes , is the true N. extensum Bl. 
or Hk. said in the Syn. Fil. to be figured by Bed. at 1. t. 85, which is also 
more like N. molle. The true N. extensum Bl. is well figured by Bed ll. t. 
131. as Nephrodium punctatum, Parish, and I had the pleasure of pointing this 
out to Major Beddome from a living specimen grown by me in Colombo. 
Major B. said there could be no doubt of this, and attracted my attention to 
the fact that this fern connected the Lastreas with the true Nephrodiums. See 
my notes on 138 N. extensum. We do not seem to have any form of this 
fern in Ceylon except the C. P. 1361 for var. tylodes, of Kunze, with the sori 
close to the midrib, and a prominent gland beneath the bases of the pinnae. 
I have already shown that the C. P. 975. quoted for the var. ochthodes, is the 
true N. (L.) extensum, figured by Beddome as N. punctatum, and for which 
Baker quotes Gardners No. (1362) which is given by Thwaites as equal to C. P. 
975. En. p. 392, whilst the two very marked forms of ferns given by him for 
extensum, are shown to be both for N. (L.) amboinense. Beddome’s 1. t. 106 
quoted by Baker for N. (L.) prolixum, is a very fair representative of a com- 
mon Ceylon form of N. (L.) molle, and the principal figure in 1. t. 107, is 
also more like a form of the same fern than our Ceylon form of N. (L.) tylodes. 
The hairness shown on this figure is a contradiction of the description in Syn. 
Fil. “ rachis and under side nearly naked.” The figure of the fertile pinnules 
in the left upper corner of Bed. 1. t. 107 is however a good one. With re- 
ference to the confusion in respect to the synonyms of this and other ferns 
I would strongly recommend writers on Natural History not to take a single 
statement or reference by previous writers forgranted as correct. The Naturalist 
if possible should verify every statement made by a reference and careful ex- 
amination of the specimens referred to when -to be had. 
121. Nephrodium (Lastrea) syrmaticum, Baker. 
Bed. 1. t. 108. A well marked and distinct fern. Found in abundance 
in the forest separating Ooduwella from Kittulamulla below the zigzag in the 
middle path where poor Morgan, a young Englishman was shot by Natives 
some years ago. In drying this fern, the pinme generally separate from the 
rachis as they do in Polypodium (Drynaria) quercifolium, and some others, just 
as if they were cut off by a knife. 
122. Nephrodium (Lastrea) Filix*mas, Rich. 
Bed. 1. tt. Ill, 112, 113, 114, and 115. This is evidently a rare fern 
in Ceylon, and confined to the higher forests near Neura Elliya &c. 
The only Ceylon specimen I have seen of it is the variety b. C. P. 1364. for 
which Bed. 1. t. 111. is a pretty good figure, only that the pinnae on the 
C. P. specimen are alternate whilst on Beddome’s figure they are shown to be 
opposite. After the description of t. 115 Beddome remarks : — “ The above 5 
species belong to the Filix-mas group of Lastrea, and probably few Botanists 
