672 CKYPTOGAMIA FILICES. 



]n woods and ftony foils abundantly, V-. VII. 



'J lie leaves are a cubit high, and grow in circular 

 lures. '1 hey are firll: alternately pinnate, tlie 

 pinna increafing in fize from the bafe towards 

 the middle, and afterwards gradually decreai'mg 

 upwards to the fummit of the leaf. Thefe tinri-e 

 are again plnnatifid, or I'ubdivided almod 10 the 

 ...; nerve inio obtufe parallel lobes, crenated on the 

 edoes. '1 he ftalks are covered with brown hh^-iy 

 fcalcs. '! he fruclitications are kidney- fhap'd, 

 and covered with a permanent (caly fliield, or 

 involunum. The capfules are of a pale brown, 

 ' . :. furroundedi with a falFron-colour'd eiaftic ring. 



This fern has nearly the fame qualities, and is ufed 

 for moft of the fame intentions as the PTERIS 

 ci^uiUna. 1 hey are both burnt together, for 

 the fake of their afhes, which are purchafed by 

 the foap and glafs-makers. In the ifland of 

 Jura are exported, I was informed, annually, 

 150I, worth of thefe aQies. 



Guvv.er Vi^Uxci, in his Flor. Norve^. that the young 

 curled leaves, at their firit appearance out of 

 the ground, are by fome boiled and eaten like 

 afparagus •, and that the poorer Norwegians cut 

 off thofe fucculenr lamina;, like the nails of the 

 finger at the crown of the root, which are the 

 bafes ot the future ftalks, and brew them into 

 beer, adding thereto a third portion of malt, 

 and in times of great fcarcity mix the fame in 



their bread. 



The 



