FILICES. 623 



POLYPODIUM QUERCIFOLIUM, 8pr. 



Fig. — B/ieedc, Sort. Mai. xii., t. 11. Oak-leaved Polyjjody 

 [Eng.). 



Hab. — India. Widely distributed throughout tiie East. 

 The rhizome. 



Vernacular. — Easing, Vdndar- basing, Ashva-katri (Mar.). 



History, Uses, &C.— Basing (^rfl^il), the Marathi 



name of this remarkable fern, signifies the crown-like frontlet 

 which the Marathi people tie upon the foreliead of the bride 

 and bridegroom at the marriage ceremony. There can be 

 little doubt that the form of the ornament was suggested by 

 the appearance of the plant ; its use is of Tery ancient date, and 

 probably derived from the aboriginal inhabitants of the hiUy 

 districts of Western India, where P. gmrcifolhim is very 

 abundant. The thick silky rhizome of this fern is found 

 closely adhering to the dead branches of trees, which it 

 envelopes with its large oak-like leaves. Rheede says that the 

 plant is supposed by the natives of Malabar to partake of the 

 properties of whatever tree it grows upon. This notion 

 prevails all over India with regard to this and other parasites 

 (see Loranthacece), and, as has already been shown, is quite 

 erroneous. 



For medicinal purposes those plants which grow upon the 

 Stryc/iiios Nux-vomica are preferred. The author of the 

 Wanuushadi Pra^-iisha gives the following prescription contain- 

 ing Basing as the best cure for phthisis :— Take 2 toKs of 

 Kajrabasing, 1 tola Ooksi flowers {Calycoptcris florihunda), 

 2 tolas Chiretta, 2 tolas Ghas-pitpapra [Bostellidariaprocumhens), 

 2 toUs Ringan-mul (root of Solanum I'ndicim), 2 toUa Bal-bel- 

 Ptal (small immature fruit of ^ffle Marmclos), 2 tolas 

 Padminimul (root oi JSfchnnhium specmum), 4 toMs Sonar-wel- 

 Baul (root of Vicoa indica), two tolas Gokhru-mdl (root of 

 Trihihis terrestris). These nine drugs are to be powdered and 

 divided into seven parts. For administration each part is to 

 be boiled in 40 tolas of water, sweetened with 2 tolas of 



