22 PERNS OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



conspicuous, and is usually placed at the upper part of 

 the frond. 



This plant, like the Common Brake and several other 

 of our native Perns, contains a large proportion of car- 

 bonate of potash, which in former days was used by 

 glass-manufacturers. The fern was also formerly praised 

 for its medicinal virtues, and the mucilaginous liquid 

 obtained by boiling its fronds had much repute among 

 herbalists as a remedy for pulmonary affections. Wlien 

 boiled with liquorice, it is a very good medicine for 

 cold and cough ; but it requires boiling for a long time, 

 till the decoction becomes slightly bitter. Michael 

 Drayton, who calls it the "jagged polypodium," else- 

 where describes it the " rheum-purging polypody." In 

 Paris this and the mucilage obtained from the leaves of 

 .he Lime-tree are deemed, and not without reason, very 

 useful in colds; but, except in villages, the plant is 

 scarcely used in this country. Mr. Newman remarks 

 that he has seen women collecting it in Herefordshire, 

 as a specific against hooping-cough. He says that it is 

 gathered in October and November when fuU of seed, 

 the barren fronds being rejected. It is hung up in the 

 cottage to dry, and, when required for use, is slowly 

 boiled with raw sugar. The people who were gathering 

 it called it by its old names of Golden-locks and Maiden' s- 

 hatr. We have known it to be gathered for a similar 

 purpose in Kent, where it was called Golden Polypody 

 and Golden Maiden-hair, doubtless from its bright orange- 

 coloured masses of fructification. In this case, however, 

 it was deemed of great importance that the plant should 

 be gathered from the oak, and not from the shady hedge- 



