CHAPTER VI. 
USES. 
Those who have been fairly inoculated with the love of 
Ferns, will be interested to learn that many species of these 
beautiful plants are used not only for food and medicine, but 
for economic purposes. As food, they are chiefly useful to 
the aboriginal inhabitants of some foreign countries. In 
the larger of the exotic Ferns — the tree-like species — the 
inner part of the stem, stipes or rhizoma — corresponding to 
what would be the pith in other plants — and sometimes, the 
whole of the tuberous rhizoma, is eaten generally after 
being boiled. In India, some of the natives boil the tops 
of one species of Fern, and eat it with shrimp-curry. 
Amongst ourselves, two of the most beautiful species — the 
Bracken and the Male Fern — are said to have been sometimes 
used as ingredients in the manufacture of beer ; whilst 
one foreign species (Aspidium ’fragrans) is actually stated to 
have been used for making tea. Our native Maidenhair 
used at one time to furnish a principal ingredient for a syrup 
called ‘ capillaire,’ which can be made in this way : — To one 
ounce of the fronds of the Maidenhair must be added a 
quarter of an ounce of liquorice-root, and one pint of 
boiling-water. The ingredients after standing six or seven 
hours should be strained, and to the resulting liquor must 
be put one quarter of a pint of orange-flower water and two 
pounds of loaf-sugar. 
But it cannot be contended that Ferns can compete with 
other plants as articles of food for man. They have, how- 
