1390 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



expectorant, diuretic and emmenagogue. Used as a plaster it 

 is considered to be discutient, and is applied to chronic tumors 

 of various lands.' 1 



Drynaria :— Fronds articulate with the caudex, with either 

 a separate sterile frond like an oak leaf or the base of the frond 

 pinnatifid and oak-leaf-like ; veins copiously anastomosing, 

 forming quadrate or hexagonal areoles ; sori small, round or 

 oval, numerous. ( Bed dome). 



1356. D. quereifolia, Linn. 



Syn. :— Polypodium quercifolium, Linn. 



Ref, :— Bedd. Handbook to the Ferns of Br. In., p. 341. 



Vern : — Basingh or Wandur-bashing (Mar.). 



Hahitat : — Through the Indian Plains, or very low down on 

 mountain on trees or rock. Seen in the Court House garden of 

 Ratnagiri on a tree in 1898-1905. Rajapur Ratnagiri District 

 1899-1904. (K. R. KirtikwO 



Rhizome creeping, short, stout, densely clothed with red- 

 brown satiny lanceolate-subulate soft scales, which have a 

 cordate base, and are i-Jin. long ; fronds coriaceous or sub- 

 coriaceous of two kinds, sterile ones varying in size from 3-12 

 inches and more long, and 7-8 inches wide, green when very 

 young, but soon turning dark-brown, glossy, cordate-ovate 

 variously lobate-pinnatifid, sometimes half way down to the 

 costa ; fertile ones 2-3ft. long, long-petiolate broad-ovate deeply 

 nearly to the rachis pinnatifid, segments 5-9 inches long, 

 1-1 j inches wide, oblong acuminate, entire ; venation manifest, 

 costules distinct rather distant, united by transverse veins 

 forming 4-6 primary soriferous areoles filled up with a network 

 of small quadrangular areoles with or without free veins ; sori 

 compital small, numerous, two in each primary areole, conse- 

 quently in 2 series between and parallel with the costules. 



Uses : — For medicinal purposes those plants which grow 

 upon the strychuos nux-vomica are preferred. The author of 

 the Wanaushadi Prakash gives the following prescription con- 

 taining Basingh as the best cnre for phthisis : — Take 2 tolas of 

 Kajrabasingh, 2 tolas of Chiretta ; 1 tola Ooksi flowers 



