lopt off for foar or five years together 5 which are mofl- 
ly ufed by the Boors to make Hedges or Fences for their 
Grounds and Dwelling places^ a great many of which 
Willow TreeSj by the Lopping ot their Branches, perifti : 
^nd upon the rotten Wood of fuch Trees grows the Po- 
Ijpodwm ov Fern. 
From three or four of thofe Trees I puU'd off the Fern, 
and I obferved in all thofe that I meddrd with, the Plant 
was no larger than a Angle Leaf. 
Thefe Leaves were ot different fizes, forae ten times 
larger than others, and fome of them were not above two 
fingers broad, yet they alfo had Seed in them. 
From thefe Obfervations, I infer, that the great Leaves 
had grown feveral years before they arrived at their pre- 
fent bignefs V and the more, becaufe the FvoCe like parrs 
yyere not near fo large upon, the little Leaves as they were 
upon the great ones^ and confequently the Seed Vefiels 
fewer in riumber upon the one than the other. 
Kmong^- that Fern that I brougjK home wirh me^ t 
planted^eight or ten that had thick (hort Roots ^ and 
iroii) which Roots there came new final! Branches, and:. 
r.ix)ftly two fuch Branches fprung ont of one Root ; But; 
I liad one from.whence four proceeded, ! planted chem^ 
iji a Flower-pot, with fitting Earth about them, that i 
might purfue my Obfervations as ofren as I fo:jnd my 
felf diipofed to it. 
I caufed my Painter to draw the greateft part of one ot 
the largeft Plants, to fhew you the many Seed Vcffelsrhar 
are upon the fame, together with the unfpeakable number 
of fmall Seeds that are (hot up in each Veifch, • 
Fig. I. ABCDEF reprefents the largelt part of ah 
Oak Fern Plant, v;hich 1 call a/Leaf, becaufe it lias no. 
Root, hut only a Stalk 5 and fprafmuch as part of the 
Leaf was divided into feventcen Branches, whereof A BG 
is one, we may conclude that the whole Leaf confified of 
a great many more. 
Now 
