AsPLENIUM ScOLOPENDRIUM. HaRTS-TONGUE. 



ASPLENIUM JJnnal, Gen. PI. Cryptogamia Filices. 



Rait, Synop. Gen. Herb,e capillares et affines. 

 ASPLENIUM frondibus fimplicibus cordato-lingulatis integerrimis, ftipitibus hirfutis. Lin. Sp.Pl 1527. 

 ASPLENIUM Frondes lanceolate, acuminate, bafi cordate, integerrimae, medio latiores. Scopoli.Fl. Cam. 

 ASPLENIUM petiolis hirfutis, folio longe lineari-lanceolato, integerrimo, circa petiolum exfciffo. 



Bailer, Bifi. n. 1665. 

 HEMIONITIS. Fufcbii. Icon. 294. 

 PHYLLITIS vulgaris. Cluf. hift, 

 SCOLOPENDRIA vulgaris Tragi. 



LINGUA CERVINA officinarum. Bauhin. Pin. 350. Gerard, emac. 1138. Parkin/on. 1046. Rail 

 Synop. 116. Budfion. Fl. Angl. 384. 



RADIX perennis, fibrofiffima, fufca, fibris fibrillis | ROOT perennial, exceedingly fibrous the fibres 

 tenuiflimis inftrudis. | brown, and furnifhed with other fibres, which 



I are very minute. 



STIPITES plures, pilofi. % STALKS numerous and moffy, or hairy. 



FRONDES cordato-lingulate, longitudine pedales, la- | LEAVES tongue-fhaped, at bottom cordate about a 



titudineferebipollicares,glabernmae,margine | foot in length, and one inch and 'a half in 



undulato, nervo medio inferne pilofo. | breadth, of a bright yellowifh green colour, 



X and mining, the margin a little waved, and 



I the midrib on the under fidd molly. 



FRUCTIFICATIO. Glomera linearia, obliqua, in pa- | FRUCTIFICATION placed in oblique lines on the 

 gina wfenore frondis nervo medio utrinque | under fide of the leaf, on each fide of the mid- 



lenatim difpofita, fig. i, 2, 3. | nb, fig. j, 2, 3. 



INVOLUCRUM. Squama linearis, bivalvis, longitu- I INVOLUCRUM a linear membrane or cafe, of two 



r4pQTTT d i? allter dehifcens fig 2, | valves, opening longitudinally, ^. L 



CAPSUL^E numerole, fubg lobofie, uniloculars, pe- | CAPSULES numerous, ftandmg on foot Jalks nearly 



dicellaft* annulo elaftico cincle, fig. 5, 7, | globular, furrounded by an elaftic ring, and 



lente auctae. ^ having one cavity, as they appear magnified, 



I fS- 5> 7- 



SEMINA numerofa, fubrotunda, minutiffima, fig. 7, | SEEDS roundim, very numerous and minute /fr. 7 as 

 lente valde audae, fig. 8. ¥ they appear through a great magnifier, fig. 8. 



THIS is one of thofe plants which fome botanic writers have called Epiphyllofperma?, from producing their feeds 

 on the back of the leaves. Linn^us includes it in his clafs Cryptogamia, as neither ftamina nor piftilla have yet 

 been difcovered on it. The firft appearance of frudification that we obferve, are fome little bags or cafes of a 

 yellowifh or whitifh green colour, placed in rows on the under fide of the leaves, fig. 1, on opening of which 

 almoft as loon as they become vifible, we find the capfules or feed-veffels, fig. 2, very numerous; ftandW upright' 

 and dole together : at this time they appear of a green colour; as they approach towards maturity, they change 

 this for a deep brown : the cafes then open lengthways in the middle, the two fides, by the protrufion of the can 

 iules, are turned quite back, and wholly difappear, fig. 3. This membranous fubftance or cafe, may be confidered 

 as fimilar to the cafyptra in Mofles, or calyx m other plants, and ferves to fecure and defend the tender feed and can- 

 ities, which being now become ripe, exhibit a moft ftriking proof of that wifdom which the benevolent Author of 

 Nature mamfefts in all the works of his creation. 



Each capfule or feed-veffel, confifts of three parts ; firft the foot-ftalk, fig. 4, which fupports and conneds them 

 to the leaf ; fecondly, the jointed fprmg, fig. 5, which nearly furrounds the third part, or cavity containing the 



The feeds being ripe, the cavity containing them is forced open by the elafticity of the jointed fpring and the 

 feeds fcattered and thrown to a confiderable diftance ; one half of the cavity remains connected to one end of the 

 fpnng, and the other half to the other end, fig. 7. 



Some of the capfules being fooner ripe than others, difcharge their feed fooner, fo that it is a confiderable time 

 before they all become empty. On applying an entire row before the microfcope for the firft time, I was immediatelv 

 ftruck with the motion that appeared in them, and afterwards found that the warmth of my breath occafioned \ 

 great number of the capfules to keep continually difcharging their feeds, fo as almoft to give them the appearance 

 of fometmng ahve._ The clofenefs of the capfules one to another, affording me but a confuted idea of their ftrudure 

 Ifeparatedthem with the point of a penknife, from their connedion to the leaf, and again placed them before the 

 microfcope, which then gave me a very different, and, after a little examination, a very clear idea of their ftrudu re - 

 many appeared with the ieeds drfcharged, feveral in the ad of difcharging them, and fome as yet entire- it fre- 

 quently happened, that while I was intently looking at one which I expeded would open, at the inftant of difchan- 

 mg it wou dbecarriedoutofmyfightbytheftrength and elafticity of the fpring ; and it was not till after repeated 

 trials, that I was able clearly to oblerve the manner of their opening. The feeds are very numerous, and fcarcely 

 vifible to the naked eye : when magnified, they appear of a roundiih figure, and full of little proiedino- points 



Both Grew and Swammerdam have given figures on this fubjed ; but thofe of Swammerdam are by much the 

 moft natural As a great dea of the fatisfadion in viewing objeds of this kind, depends on the kind, as well as 

 goodnefs of the microlcope, that none of my readers may be disappointed in the experiments they may make with 

 this entertaining mftrument I may inform them, that the microfcope I make ufe of, is that which is fold in the 

 fhops by the name of Ellis s Aquatic Microfcope, and which is made for this purpofe, with particular care and ac- 

 curacy, by George Adams of Fleet-Street, Mathematical Inftrument Maker to his Maieity 

 • This plant may be found in feed from September to November, in fhady lanes and on walls, and is frequently found 

 growing withm-iide of old wells It is met w lt h but rarely abputtown, though cultivated inmoft of ourboLic fardens. 

 1 he leaves are fubjed, from a nchnefs of foil, to be much divided at their extremities, and very much curled at the edge 



It is an officinal plant, and is recommended by Ray, from his own, experience, as a good medicine againft con- 



