à l t S è i
H
ii. 31. Siv. Syn. Fil. p. l'2-í and 321. A . puhescens ScJih'. Fil. lOS <. IIG. A. pedalum Forst. Prod. p. 33 n. A53 {not Linn.) A.
nervosmn, Sw. Syii. Fil. p. 123. A . plicalum K a u lf Ext. Fit. p. 201. A . scaôrn/xi iVall. Cat. xi. 79. A. Jlahdlulatmi Wall. Cat. n. 2177
(not Linn.)
Piilney TIill.*i, Anamallays ajid Nilgiris, up to about 3,000 feet—rather rare.
PLATE No. II I.
4, A. Capillns VenerI.-x (L.)—Frond ovate tii-quadri-pinnate, pinnules delicateraeinbranaceous glabrous obliquely broad cuneate
(soinetiines approaching to rhomboid) tapering into a ratlier long slender petiolule, the superior margin deeply and irregularly inciso lobate
lobes very obtuse or truncate soriferous (sterile one subiiiciso dentate) sori as broad as the lobe, oblong or siib-reniforni, stipes and slender
rachis everywhere ebeneous, glos.sy and quite glabrous. IJook Sp. Fil. ii, 36.. Lixin. Sp. PI. p. 1558. A. 3iox-itzianuxn. Klottich. A.
dependens. Chapxnan's Mst. (e.x Torrey.)
Nilgiris, rare—Coimbatore plains, (banks of a river.)
PLATE No. rv.
5. A. Æthiopicuxn (Linn).—Frond oblong, ovate triquadri-pinnate, pinnules sub-or quite membranaceous, glabrous sub
orbicular suddenly and obliquely cuneate a t the base into a rather or very slender petiolule, superior margin more or less lobed, lobes
shallow emarginate, the sinus or notch of the lobe soriferous, sori rather large 2-6 on a pinnule, involucres oblong-lunulate, stipes and
slender rachis every where ebeneous sliining and glabrous. Hook. Sp. Fil. li. 31, Lin n . Sp. PI. p. 1560. A. tkalictx-oides Willd. A.
pellucidum H a r t et Galeot Fil. Hex. p. 272. A . cxjclodes Zexiker.
Nilgiris—Fair lawns near Ootacamund. Dodabetta, Nediwattam. Putnies, by no means a common fern.
PLATE No. V.
T R IB E 4, T R IC H OM A N IN EÆ .
(a) InvoliiO'es xmi shaped or tubular.)
T ric h om a n e s , L in n c e u s , Gen. pi. ed. ii., 947.
{Achomanes, Necker, Hidx/moglossuxn, Desvaux, Lecanium, Presl.; Cax'diomanes, Presl; Cephalomanes, Presl. ; Ha-
gatelus, Presl. ; Pachxjclmtum, Presl. ; Chilodium, Px-esl. ; Crepidum, Px-esl. ; Heringium, Px-esl. ; Hemiphlebium, Presl ; Microgonium
; Presl; Ahrodictyum; Pred. ; Neurophyllum Presl; Hagroglena ; Presl; Tasdineria ; Presl; Leucomanes), Presl; Pleu-
roxnanes, Presl; Pseudachoxnanes, Presl; Amphiptex'um, Px-esl; Crepidomaxies, Presl; Odoxitomanes, Presl; Homceotes, Presl;
^ Sori involúcrate seated in extrorse-marginal (rarely recurved) cysts, sunk in or free on the margins of the fronds ; the veins
continued into filiform exserted sometimes capitate receptacles, which are free within the cysts, and bear sessile lenticular spore cases at
their base. Invohccres funnel-pitcher-shaped or shortly bell shaped, truncate and entire at the mouth or two lipped ; veins simple
forked or pinnate from a central costa or simple costa-like in the ultimate segments, or flabellato-dichotomous, veinlets free sometimes
excurrent in the marginal teeth.
Fronds simple pinnate or decompound, pellucid membranaceous, rarely coriaceous— Rhizome creeping (sometimes filiform) or
coespitose—Delicate semi-transparent Ferns. (Moore.)
1. Trichomanes Ntilgherrense (Beddome)—Caudex creeping more or less tomentose, fronds glabrous ; very small stipitate entire
ovate to eUiptic lanceolate or linear thin membranaceous, margins often furnished with peltate scales—stipes 3 to 6 lines long, glabrous or
tomentose, involucres terminal 1-2 sunk in the frond, mouth obscurely 2 lipped, receptacles more or less exserted.
A very small species—fronds 4 to 8 lines long—the curious peltate scales with their tufted appendage are found on both sterile
and fertile fronds and are all round the margin of some fronds, whilst others are quite destitute of them. I at first thought them to be
but something similar is found on T. membranaceum (Linn) a West Indian species; they are well represented in the
•e. Abundant about Walaghat on the Western slopes of the Nilgiris. I have not found it elsewhere.
PLATE No. VI.
2. Trichomanes fihcula (Bory.) Caudex creeping clothed with dense black down, fronds rather small opaque ovate-lanceolate
bipinnatifid, the segments linear rather acute entire compactly ceUular, involucres soHtary supra axUlary cyUndrical tapering at the base
wholly sunk or winged at the sides, the mouth with 2 large narrow ovate or subtriangular acute lips nearly as long as the tube, stipes
broad comprcased wmged abovo-7/ooi. S f. F i l i. 131. Bory. in Daperr,/, Voy. Bot. i p. 383. Tri*bilabiatum, N « ,. lljbnebophjlhm
fJDrJa J50>y in W i l k î Sp. FI. V. 528. Didymoglossnm decipiens Deso.
Common on tree« on tlm l.iglier parts of the Nilgiri.«, Anamaflays and Pnlnies,
PLATE No. VII,
3 Tridiomanet rijidiim (Srr.)— Tufted erect, fronds ovate acnmhiate hatsb rigid dark green almost black when dry, Upinnato,
the piiumles lanceolate ot linear lanceolate ciinoate aub-bipiunatifid, more or less deeply, the ultímate segments varion-s in length, .suhacuto
simple or bifid, rachis terete wingless or as well as the secondary rachis with a very narrow wing or margin sometimes setose, mvolucres
snpra axillary on the inner margin of the lower segments, on the upper side of the ultimate divisions subnrccolate-oylindrical free, the
month entire and scarcely spreading, not 2-lipped. Ilo o h Sp. F i l i. 133. Trich. pyramidale WuU. Oat n. 162. Ttieh. Achillæifolium WilU
Sp PI V. p . 512. Trich. obsourum Bl. Fil. Ja r . P. 227.
In very moist dark localities on the Nilgiri.s and Anamallays, 3000 to 4000 feet elevation—abundant about Walagbat
(down the Sisparah ghiit,}
PLATE No. VIII,
(b) Ixtvolucres two valved.
IlY.yENOpnyLLUM Smith Mem. Acad. Tux-in V. 418.
(Ptychomanes, Iledxvig ; Hymenoglossum, Presl ; Leptocionium, Presl ; Sphærodium, Presl ; Myrmecoatylum, Presl ; Cycloglossum,
Presl ; Craspeduphyllum, Presl ; Ptychophyllum, Presl ; Sphærocionium, Presl. ; Mecodium, Presl ; Dermatophlebium, Presl.)
Sori involúcrate, L e. seated with an extrorse-marginal oblong or sub orbicular, two valved involxscre ; the veins continued into
the receptacle, which is free, included cyUndrical or globose at the apex and bears sessUc or subsessUe lenticular or turbinate spore cases.
Veins dichotomously branched, simple and costa-like in the ultimate segments, or simple paraUel from a central costa in undivided
fronds ; vexiules free.
Fronds simple or decompoundly divided, pellucid membranaceous. Rhizome creeping, usually filiform. Well distinguished
from the last genus in the involucres consisting of 2 valves, instead of being blended into a cup (Moore.)
1. Hymcxiophxjiluxnexserium. (WaU.)— FlexUe pendent,fronds oblong,elongate,acuminate,pinnated,pinnæ rather distant, lanceo-'
late acunünate decurrcnt, especially the upper ones pinnatifid but not deeply, segments short linear-oblong, obtuse, entire simple or bifid,
involucres on the upper side of the pinnæ solitary or 2-3 sessile or terminating short segments, ovate 2 valved almost to the base, compressed,
the valves eroso-serrate or nearly entire, rachis, stipes and costa more or less crinite with long scattered rufous hairs. Hooh,
Sp. F i l i., 109. Wall Cat. n. 171. Hymenophyllum densum Wall. Cat. n. 170.
Common on trees and moist rocks on the higher ranges of the Nilgiris, Anamalays and Pulnies.
PLATE No. IX,
I have axiother species o f Hymexiophylluxxi {H. badium ?) axid also another species o f Trichomaxies {T. Schmidianum 7) which
J shidl have figured in a future number o f this work.
T R IB E I . (§ 17) C Y S T O P T E R ID Æ .
Acrophoetts, Presl Texit. Ptei-id. 93.
(Leucostegia, Presl. ; Odontoloma, J . Sm. I Monachosorum, Kunu.
Sori indusiate, globose, superficial or immersed ; the receptacles terminal (or rarely axillary in the forks of the vemdes,) indusium sub
orbicular, affixed by its posterior margin or base, rarely two or three becoming confluent. Veixis pinnato furcate from a costa or more rarely
repeatedly dichotomous, vexiules free.
Fronds raembranaceo-herbaceous or sub coriaceous, pinnate or more frequently decompound, the divisions isomerous or dimi-
diate-—Rliizome creeping. (This group is separated from Davallieæ by having its indusium fixed only by its base) [Moore.]
Acrophai-vs pulcher (Moore)— Caudex creeping, stout clothed with compact imbricated very broad and obtuse scales, fronds rather
g,j,all (1 2 feat), ovate acuminate membranaceous flaccid generally pale green 3—4 pinnate, rachides winged, primary pinnæ oblong ovate
acximinate, second.ary and tertiary ones ovate obtuse, pinmiies lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid witli linear lanceolate falcate segments entire
or with an inner tooth, involucres on the middle of the segment below the sinus of the tooth and at the axil of a pair of veinlets, reniform
rather large, stipes a little scaly below and rising from a very scaly gemma, all the scales oval obtuse. Hook. Sp. F i l i 157. DavalUa,