ADIANTUM MAIDENHAIR. 277 



CRYPTOGAMOUS OR FLOWERLESS PLANTS. 



Plants wliicb produce directly without the intervention of flowers, in- 

 stead of seeds, minute bodies of homogeneous structure, termed spoi-es, 

 which do not contain an embryo or plantlet previous to germination. 



Cryptogams are divided into two great classes, Thallogens and Acro- 

 GENS, the latter comprising those having a distinct axis, that is, a stem or 

 stem and branches, growing from the apex only, containing woody fibre 

 and vessels, and commonly with some sort of foliage. To this class be- 

 long the few cryptogams described in this work. 



FILICES— FERNS. 



Character of the Order. — Plants with leaves, called fronds, all radical, 

 on stalks, called stipes, rising from a root or roostock, circiuate in the bud, 

 and bearing the fruit variously arranged in 1 -celled spore-cases on their 

 under surface. The North American species are all herbaceous pex'ennials. 

 Few of them are medicinally important. 



POLYPODIUM— Polypody. 



Polypodium vulgare Linne. — Common Polypody. 



Description, — Fruit-dots round, comparatively large, naked, placed 

 half-way between the midrib and margin, commonly in a row, but some- 

 times scattered. Eoot-stock creeping, branched, often forming a tangled 

 mass, covered with brownish chaffy scales. Fronds evergreen, oblong or 

 lanceolate in general outline, smooth both sides, 4 to 10 inches high, sim- 

 ply and deeply pinnatifid ; the lobes linear-oblong, obtuse, entire or ob- 

 scui-ely toothed. 



Habitat. — On rocks and fallen trees ; common both here and in Europe. 



Parta Used. — The rhizome and rootlets — not official. 



Constituents. — Unknown. 



Preparations. — Commonly used in decoction. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Common polypody has a sweetish, some- 

 what nauseous taste. In the recent state, large doses produce mild pur- 

 gation. Highly esteemed by the ancients, it has fallen into entire disuse. 

 Owing to the ease with which it may be administered in milk, it has been 

 recently recommended as a purgative for young children. 



ADIAXTUM. — Maidenhair. 



Adiantum pedatum Linne. — Maidenhair. 



Description. — Fruit-dots marginal, short, slightly crescentic, covered 

 by an indusium formed of the reflected border of the lobe. Fronds erect 



