48 ASPLENIUM KUTA-MURARIA. 
ASPLE'NIUM EU'TA-MUEA'KIA. 
THIS is called ruta-muraria, or Watt Rue, because its 
young leaves somewhat resemble those of the common 
Rue, and because, when away from its native mountains 
it is rarely found growing anywhere but in the mortar 
on old walls. It is also called White Maidenhair, be- 
cause its full-grown leaves slightly resemble those of 
the true Maidenhair Fern, and because they have upon 
their surface a mealy, or glaucous secretion. It is 
sometimes called the Rue - leaved Spleenwort, White 
Spleenwort, and Tentwort. 
The main, cone-shaped tap root is dark brown, scaly, 
furnished with black wiry rootlets, and tufted. From 
the tuft arise the fronds, which vary in height from 
one to four inches. Our cut represents them in both 
their dwarf and more luxuriant growth. They are 
most dwarf when growing upon walls, and tallest when 
found upon the mountains. Leafstalk green, except 
quite at its base, and there it is dark brown. About 
one-half of the stalk naked, and the other half clothed 
with leafits mostly in threes, and two threes together, 
the middle branch only being alternately leafleted, and 
that not always. The leafits are stout, deep green, 
wedge-shaped, or partly rhomboid, stalked, spreading 
horizontally, or slightly drooping, their end blunt, or 
rounded, and deeply, irregularly notched. The barren 
leafits are broader and shorter than those which are 
fruitful. All have equal-sized veins spreading in a fan 
