AsPLENIUM ScOLOPENDRIUM. HaRTSTONGUE. 
ASPLENIUM Lm. Gen. Cryptogamia Filices. 
RmiSynoffi. Herbie Capillares ex Affines. 
aspl ENIUM frondibus fimpl;dbus cordato . lbguIat . s bteger rim , . s 
LENIUM pe^shirfufis, folio longe «te*, integi, circa petiolum exfciffo. HaUer, 
HEMIONITIS Fufchii Icon. 294 
PHYLLITI8 vulgaris Cluf. hift. 
SCOLOPENDRIA vulgaris Tragi. 
LINGUA tin. 350. Gerard. e m a, „38. PnrMnfen. 1046. „5. 
RADK fibrmis tenu " 
STIPITES plures, pilofi. 
FRONDES cordato-UnguIatai, longitudine pedales, lati- 
tudine fere b, pollicares, glaberrima;, margine 
undulato, nervo medio inferne pilofo. 
FRUCTIFICATIO. Glomera linearia, obliqua, in pa- 
gina inferiore frondis nervo medio utrinque 
lenatim difpofita, fig. x . 2. 3. ^ 
INVOLUCRUM. Squama linearis, bivalvis, longitudi- 
naliter dehifcens, fig. 2. 
CAPSULffi numerofe, fubglobofe, uniloculares, pedi- 
cellatse, annulo elaftico cinfta:, f s . e. 7 lente 
audtae. • JS i- /■ “““ 
ROOT perennial, exceedingly fibrous ; the fibres brown, 
and furmmed with other fibres, which are very 
minute. J 
STALKS numerous and molly, or hairy. 
LEAVES tongue-lhaped, at bottom cordate, about a 
foot m length, and one inch and a half in 
breadth, of a bright yellowilh green colour and 
mining, the margin a little waved, and the 
mid-rib on the under fide mofly. 
FRUCTIFICATION placed in oblique lines on the 
under hde of the leaf, on each fide of the mid- 
ttb./f. I. 2. 3. 
INVOLUCRUM a linear membrane or cafe, of two 
valves, opening longitudinally, fig. 2. 
CAPSULES numerous, (landing on foot-ftalks, nearly 
globular, furrounded by an elaftic ring, and 
having one cavity, as they appear magnified, 
fS- 5-7- 
SEMIN \nTvddtauat/;. d 8 7 ' I SEEDS ^" U T ! "«e,i*. - 
¥ they appear through a greater magnifier, fig. 8 . 
THIS is one of thofe plants which lome Botanic Writers have railed T'fii-hhvllr r , . . 
feeds on the back of the leaves; Linn^us, includes it in his chi c° m .producing their 
atfe 
thtCalypira in mofles, or Calyx in other plants, and ferves to fecure and defend the tender feed and capfules which 
ftnklnS pr00f 0f that Whkh the * A “ th ” ° f Nat S ; rnmi 
The feeds being npe, the cavity containing them is forced open by the elafticity of the jointed firing and fh! Ve Js' 
Mtsrst."” ; one halfofthc cavity — “ d to J 
, of the ca P fu ' cs be “S lio 1 ne . r ri P e th “ others, difeharge their feed fooner, fo that it is a confiderable time before 
they aU become empty. On applying an entire row before the mierofeope for the firft time, I was immediateTy ftru c k 
with the motion that appeared m them and afterwards found that the warmth of my breath occafioned a great number 
Th* , c p >f “i. es t0 h ee P continually difchargmg their feeds, fo as almoft to give them the appearance of fomething alive 
the no-, ° f \ he .“P| ulcs 'o ? ne another affording me but a confiifed idea of their ftrudhire, I feperated them with 
° f a P e "Lnife, from their conne&on to the leaf, and again placed them before the mierofeope, which then 
SS? “ a ? dl ?: reil f ’ and after a little examination, a very clear idea of their ftnifture ; many appeared with the feeds 
barged, feveral in tile aft of difchargmg them, and fome as yet entire ; it frequently happenedthat while I was in 
he C°lh’ s ? A e T^ W0U H °P en ’ at the infatlt of dlfcharging it would becarried out of my fight by 
mannS ” d °if e / 1 T g ’ a " d “ “ U after re P eatol trials that I was able clearly to obferve tft 
Th ? f e ?, ds /.U Y** ™“orous and lcarcely vlfible to the naked eye 5 when magnified, they 
appear of a rounchih figure, and full of little projecting points. b 7 
G * ew an<1 Swammerdam have given figures on this fuhjeft, but thofe of Swammerdam are by much the mod 
natural. As a great deal of the fatlsfaftion in viewing objefts of this kind, depends on the kind, as well as goodnefs of 
the mierofeope, that none of my Readers may be difappomted m the experiments they may make with this entertaining 
inftrument, I may inform them, that the mierofeope I make ufe of is that which is fold in the Ihops, by the name of 
SKb'igfa m ht l X;S?Y With ***** “ rc and 
■ Th . IS , P la n^nay be found in feed from September to November in fhady lanes and on walls, and is frequently found nrow- 
SrSSf • S i r 1 S fT\ , bUt u r P-A h A Ut T' n ’ thou gh'Cultivated in moil of our hot anic garden!? The 
leaves art fubject from a nchnefs of foil to be much divided at their extremities, and very much curled at the edpes 
It js an officinal plant, and is recommended -by Ray from his own experience, as a geed mcdicii- againft convulfive 
