THE USES OF FERNS. 
75 
tinted species, of the same family, is much valued as a 
slightly aperient medicine. 
Still quoting from Duchesne, we find that the Polypo- 
dium arboreum is much valued in Cochin-China, its stems 
being used for palisades, and accounted most desirable 
for thatch, and the ashes of the whole plant being found 
richly productive of potash. 
The inhabitants of the South Sea Islands gather the 
fronds of Poly podium phymatodes and Angiopteris evecta , 
and bruise them in order to obtain an aromatic oil which 
they contain, and which is used to perfume the cocoa- 
nut oil. 
The Aspidium group come out strongly in their adapta- 
bility to useful ends, as is testified by legendary and 
even by modern lore. Nephrodium rigidum. has the re- 
commendation of M. Duchesne, he says, “ I/infusion 
est usitee en Siberie contre les maladies goutteuses, elJe 
y serf a succedanee au the, sous le 110m de ‘the de 
Siberie on l’emploie encore pour aromatiser les 
nardes.” We do not expect that M. Duchesne’s receipt 
will be widely adopted by our readers, for the Nephro- 
dium rigidum is too rare and valuable as an inmate of 
our ferneries and herbariums, for us to employ it as a 
substitute for the now cheap luxury of tea, even if we 
could be convinced of the excellence and beneficial effects 
of the “ the de Siberie.” 
The Nephrodium esculentum is an article of food in 
tropical countries. 
The virtues of the Nephrodium Filial-mas are manifold, 
and it is worthy of remark and of thankfulness, that the 
healing qualities of the fern tribe are most abundantly 
present in a species which is found freely all over the 
globe. 
