V5 2 
* 
Salmon ’ s ‘Herbal . 
Lib. I. 
Chap. 261. S- Fr«.x Florida , Aquatic a , w/ pafu- 
ftris, Water Fern, or Ofmund Koval, of which in 
Chap. 262. To thefe you may add, 6. Polypodium , 
Filicula^ Polypodia. 7. Lonchitis afpera , Rough 
Spleen-wort, or Eftridges Fern. 8. Af plenum cetc- 
ro.ch , Smooth Spleen-wort •, of all which in their 
proper places. 
III. The yUtf/fc ’&/«/ is that which we treat of in 
this Chapter, and is called by Nicander , Blethron. 
It is, 1. fv/ttr vulgaris , Our common Male 
Fern. 2. Filix mas acideata, Fihx mas aculeata mi- 
nor Baubini , Prickly Male Fern. 3. Ef//* mas acu- 
te at a major Baubini , The greater prickly Male Fern. 
IV. The Defcription. Tfo firft ■> or Common 
Male Fern, fow a Root confifting of a brown , /^/p, 
thick FAW ■ _//w/z which Head nothing but a multi- 
tude of fmall j black , hairy Fibres or Strings proceed ', 
growing from the lower parts thereof : from this 
Head of the Root fpring forth feveral hard , 
unbranched Stalks of winged Leaves , jw&i or bare 
at the lower ends. Theje at the beginning of the 
Spring you may perceive to cpffie forth of their fold- 
ing Quftcrs . , covered with brownifh Scales at the Su- 
perficies of the Earth , wry clofely joined together. 
A young Plant has but a few Leaves , but an old one 
has ten , twelve , or rzoro. Each Stalk of Leaves, 
at its lower end, near the Joining to its Fellows, at 
its firft appearing, before it is an inch long, has 
fome of thofe black fibrous Roots for its Nourifh- 
ment. The Leaves being come to their full Growth, 
have each of them a threefold Divifion, ( as has the 
Female Fern,) 1. The main Stalk. 2. The fide 
Branches growing from it. 3. The Nerves grow- 
ing on thole fide Branches bearing the Leaves. The 
main Stalks of fome of thefe Leaves, are fometimes 
one, two, three or four feet in Length or Height, 
which are full of thofe brownifh Scales towards the 
Root, where they are naked of Leaves, as aforefaid. 
Thefe Stalks of Leaves confift of many fide 
Branches of Leaves up to the tops, with one Leaf 
at the end, and they afte fet on both fides thereof, 
not fully oppofite, as it were, in the middle, 
between two BrancheS*t 5 F Leaves on the contrary 
fide, each Branch of Leaves not fully divided, but 
deeply nicked in on the edges, all of them of a pale 
green color, hard and dry, or without Sap, broadeft 
at the bottoms, and fmalleft towards the tops : on 
the backfide of which there are certain brownifh 
fmall Spots, which are faid to be the Seed ^ for by 
the falling of it this Plant does wonderfully en- 
creafe. The main Stalks of thefe Leaves are firm, 
fiat on one fide and round on the other fide, naked 
of Leaves from ten to twenty inches, ( according to 
the Height thereof ) where the firft fide Branches of 
Leaves begin ^ the longeft of which fide Branches 
are the third pairs from the Root, being in fome 
Plants, fix, feven, eight or nine inches long and 
from this longeft pair they grow fhorter and fhorter 
towards the top , and are -many times in number 
fourteen, eighteen or twenty pairs : for the molt 
part towards the Root they grow by couples, al- 
moft oppofite •, but as they grow higher towards the 
tops, they grow not oppofite, but in the middle, be- 
tween their Oppofices. The Leaves on the fide 
Branches, are from an inch' tio afmdlVah inch and 
half Long, and fo grow lhorter and flioner towards 
the tops of the faid fide Branches or Wings, from 
twelve or fourteen to twenty in number on each fide 
the longeft Wing or fide Branch. The fmall Leaves 
grow by couples for the moft part on the Nerve, 
each Leaf being a little cut in omthe edges, each 
Dent ending with a fharp Point, green on the up- 
per fide, and paler on the under fide, each Leaf ha- 
ving two Rows of dufty red Scales, of a brown or 
blackifh color. Towards the top of the main Stalk 
thofe fide Branches change into Nerves, bearing on- 
ly the Leaves. When the Leaves are at their full 
Growth, you may fee in the midft of them at their 
Roots, the faid fcaley folding Clufter ; and as the 
old Leaves, with their black thready Roots, whol- 
ly perifh, fo the faid fcaley folding Clufter fprings 
up again ^ but in warm places, you will many times 
find the old Leaves green all the Winter. 
V. The fecond , or Prickly Male Fern, differs not 
much' from the former , but only that the winged 
Leaves are not dented in , but whole , having a fmall 
Prick at the end of each of them , and growing not fo 
high. This Parkinfon thinks to be the Filix mas 
aculeata minor Baubini ^ but thinks, that there is but 
little difference between it and his major. 
VI. Gerard deferibes that which he thinks to be 
Filix mas aculeata major Baubini after this manner : 
The Leaves of this are of a deeper green than either 
of the former , and are placed on the Nerve not very 
clofe together , but that you may plainly fee between 
thofe next the Stalk ) 
them each Leaf ( ej 
having on that fide far the ft off the Stalk , a large Ear 
or Outgrowing , ending with a very fharp Prickle , 
and very fine. or fmall , as doth alfo the top of the 
Leaf. Some of the fides of the Leaves are alfo 
notched or dented in , ending with the like Prick or 
Hair ; and each Leaf has two Rows of duffy Seed- 
Scales. 
VII. The Places. They all grow on Heaths and 
open places of Hills, as alfo in fhadowy places by 
Fields fides ^ and are frequent in many Counties of 
England. The firft grows plentifully in the boggy, 
ftiadowy Moors near Durford Abby in Suffex as al- 
fo on the moift fhadowy Rocks by Maple Durham 
in Hampjhire , near Petersfield : it has alfo been 
found growing on the old rotten Stocks or Bodies 
of Oaks , near the faid Moors The fecond grows 
in ftiadowy Woods and Copfes. The third Mr. 
John Goodyer found growing on the ftiadowy moift 
Rocks by Maple Durham near Petersfield , afore- 
named. 
VIII. The Times. They feldom keep their Stalks 
with their Leaves green in Winter, but fend forth 
new from the Root in the Spring, which at their 
firft riling are brownifh and folded in round, as a- 
forefaid : the time when thefe Heads or Scales on 
the back of them are ripe and do fall, is Midfum- 
mer j and felling on the Ground, do fpring again, 
by which the Plant is encreafed. 
IX. The Qualities , Specification , Preparations , 
Virtues and Fifes of the Male Ferns , are the feme 
with thofe of the Female , related in the next Chap- 
ter, and thither I referr you. 
CHAP. CCLIX. 
Of FERN Female. 
I. ' I H E Names. It is called is Greek . , 0»Ai/5#teiV, 
X N up<pcua 7 flieif^ Thelypteris and Nymphceapte- 
ris : in Latin , Filix Fcemina •, and in Englifh , Fe- m 
male Fern , Brake or Common Fern. 
II. The Kinds. It is the fecond general Species, 
and is threefold, viz. 1 . Filix Fcemina vulgaris , Our 
common Female Fern : but Gefner in hortis calls ii 
Mas, and Bauhinus in his Pinax , Filix ramofa pin- 
nulis obtufis non dent at is. 2. Filix Fcemina pinnulis 
dent at is, Filix Fcemina altera tenui folia Thalii , Fe- 
male 
