POLYPODIES. 



45 



earth is best — it is an kerb of Saturn, and he seldom 

 cHmbs trees, to purge melancholy. If the humour be 

 otherwise, chuse your Polypodium accordingly." Then 

 he enumerates a long catalogue of diseases for which the 

 Polypody is beneficial, and ends by saying that " the fresh 

 roots beaten small, or the powder of the dried roots 

 mixed with honey, and applied to the member that is out 

 of joint, does much help it ; and applied to the nose, 

 cureth the disease called polypus, which is apiece of flesh 

 growing therein, which in time stoppeth the passage of 

 breath through that nostril ; and it helpeth those clefts or 

 chops that come between the fingers or toes." 



About twenty varieties are recognized of this common 

 fern. That which is called omnilacerum has the margin 

 of all the lobes of the frond cut into long tapering teeth. 



The variety hijidum has the extremities of the lower 

 lobes forked, with the divisions spreading widely apart 

 from each other. 



The variety Camhricum, called sometimes the "Welsh 

 Polypody, has somewhat of the character of the variety 

 first described ; but the lobes are more spreading, broader, 

 closer together, and the frond has a much more compact 

 appearance. 



The Irish Polypody (or variety semilacerum) is a large 

 fern, with the lower lobes or leaflets again lobed in the 

 middle, and toothed at each end. These secondary lobes 

 are nearly an inch in length. One of the noblest varieties 

 of this fern. 



The crested variety (crisfaftm), has the extremity of 

 the lobes, or leaflets, much divided, so as to give them a 

 crested appearance. 



In the variety serratum, the lobes have toothed or saw- 

 like edges. 



The variety auritum has its lower lobes with a secondary 

 and smaller lobe on the upper edge near the leaf-stalk. 



Most of the other varieties approximate to some of 

 these, or have the starved and nibbled appearance of a 

 variety named marginatum, 



No special instructions are necessary for the successful 



