Po 



. c 



LVPODIUM VULGARE. COMMON rOLTPODY, 



P 



POLYPODIUM Llnncel Gem Ph Cryptogamia FiLifcES. 



Fruftific. in pun&is fubrotundis fparfis per difcum frondisi 



Rail Syn. HeRbjE capillAres et Affines. 

 POLYPODIUM vulgare frondibus pinnatifidis : pinnis oblongis filbferratis obtufis. Linn, Syft. Fcgettih. 



p, 786. PL Sueclc. pi 2,1 Z* 

 POLYPODIUM foliis pinnatis, lanceolatis, radice fquamata. Haller hlft. m 1696* 

 POLYPODIUM vulgare. Scopoll FL Carnlol. m 1266« 



POLYPODIUM vulgare, Bauhln. pin. 359. 



POLYPODIUM vulgare. Parklnjon 1039. 



POLYPODIUM Gerard emac. 11 38. Rati Syn. p* 117, Polypody, Hudjon PL Angl. p. 387. 



RADIX oblique fub terrae fperficie reptat, fibras fuas 

 ex tuberculis quibus plurimis fcatet demirtens, 

 ad craffitudinem fere minimi digiti accedens, 

 fquamis fufcis tecta, colore foris buxea, intus 

 fere herbacea, fapore duki, tandem acerbo 

 et aditringente. 



STIPITES laeves, interne fulcati. 



FRONDES femipedales aut pedales, pinnatifidae, pinnae 

 oblongae, fubferratae, obtufie, inferne pallidiores. 



CAPSULE in acervulis, magnis, flavis, rotundis, ner- 

 vo utrinque feriatim locatae, pedicellate, fub- 

 rotundae, fuperficie granulata a feminibus pro- 

 tuberantibus, annulo elaflico brevi inftructae, 

 in valvulas duas dehifcentes, jig. 2, 3, 3, 5, 6. 



SEMINA plurima, ovata, aut fubreniformia flava, jig. 

 7 ,8. 



ROOT creeps obliquely under the furface of the earth* 

 fending forth a number of fibres from little 

 tubercles, which are plentifully distributed over 

 its furface, about the thicknefs of the little 

 finger, fometimes flenderer, covered with brown 

 mofly fcales, externally of a pale yellow colour, 

 internally greeniih, of a tafte at firit fweet, but 

 finally fowerifh and aftringent. 



STALKS fmooth, grooved on the inner fide. 



LEAVES from half a foot to a foot in length, pinnati- 

 fid ; the pinnae oblong, (lightly ferrated, obtufe, 

 paleifh underneath. 



CAPSULES placed in a row on each fide the midrib of 

 the leaf, in large, yellow, round dots, ftanding 

 on foot ftalks, of a roundifh fhape, with the 

 furface granulated from the feeds protubera- 

 ting, furniihed with a fhort elaftic fpring, and 

 opening into two valves, fig. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 



SEEDS numerous, oval or fomewhat kidney-fhaped, of 

 a yellow colour,^. 7, 8. 



IN all thofe plants of the Fern 'Tribe which I have hitherto had an opportunity of examining, there appears to 

 be much the fame mechanifm in their parts of fructification ; one of the moft linking and ufeful of which is the 

 elaftic ring which furrounds the Capfules, by means of which they are forced open and the feeds difcharged. So 

 neceflary a part one mould not conceive would be wanting in any of thefe plants, nor will it, I believe, be found 

 to be fo : yet many Botanifts, and thofe too of eminence, not only deny its exiftence, but make the want of it a 

 character to diftinguifh this Genus. Gleditch gives us the following as part of the generic character of the 

 Poly podium ** Capjulx annulo defll-tuta." Adanson alfo gives it the fame character, "jam anneau" It will perhaps 

 not be difficult to account for this miftake ; and at the fame time it will fhew us how injurious it is to fcience, for 

 Authors to take things for granted without examining for themfelves. In Tournefort's elegant figures of the 

 Genera, the Capfules of the Polypodium are reprefented without any ring : on the truth of thefe figures it is highly 

 probable that thofe Authors have relied ; for had they made ufe of their own eyes, affifted by a fmall magnifier, they 

 could not have avoided feeing what Malpighi long before their time delineated, though rudely, and Gleichen 

 fince more elegantly figured. 



There is one circumftance attending this fpecies of Polypodium, which however does not run through the whole 

 of this Genus, viz. the want of an Involucrum or Membrane ; the little dots or aflemblage of Capfules are not cover- 

 ed with any membrane ; or if there be a membrane, it is very early deciduous, and not vifible when the Capfules 

 have arrived at a tolerable degree of maturity. 



This fpecies of Polypody grows very common in woods and fhady lanes on the old flumps of various trees ; it differs 

 much in fize : fometimes it occurs on the Oak, in which cafe its virtue as a medicine has been more celebrated. 



Its effects when taken inwardly are flightly purgative ; it has been recommended in various diforders of the Vifcera, 

 in the Cachexy, fwelling of the Spleen, Jaundice, obftructions of the Mefenteric Glands, Hypochondriac Difeafe, 

 Cough, Afthma, &c. but it has generally been given with fome other medicines» 



In the prefent practice it is but little regarded. 



