Chap. 26 1 . E nglijh Herbs. 3 5 5 
grow about throe inches from the Root , and all the 
fe/l following grow by couples, almoft exallly one a- 
gainft another , in number about eight, nine or ten 
pairs, the longeft feldom exceeding an inch in 
Length. 5. 'That the Leaves grow alfo on the 
Nerves by couples , eight or nine couples on a Nerve , 
of a ycllowifh green color , and without any Dents on 
the edges : yet Lome other Authors lay, that the 
Leaves are like thole of the Female Fern , but much 
lelTer, and more finely indented or jagged, fo fine- 
ly cut in, that in fhew they refemble Feathers, fet 
round about a fmall Rib or Sinew. 6 . That the 
backfides of the Leaves are fprinkled , not with ruf- 
fet or brown Spots or Specks , as the other Ferns are, 
but are as it were painted with white Spots or 
Murks, not Handing out of the Leaves in Scales, as 
the Spots in the Male Fern , but fmooth or Hat, and 
double in each Leaf, clofe unto the middle Rib or 
Sinew. 
VII. The Places. Thefe do indeed grow in 
lhadowy thick Woods on Mountains, and fome- 
times in the open Vallies near them 3 as alfo among 
the Mofs growing on old Trees, chieHy Oaks, whence 
came the Name Filix Mufcofa , which is a kind of 
Mofs hem, growing amongft the Mofs on Oaks and 
other Trees, and in the tops of their Trunks when 
they begin to rot. 
VIII. The Times. Neither thefe nor any of the 
other Ferns ( except Water Fern ) have any manifeft 
Flower or Seed, fo that their Seafons are not to be 
fpecified. As for the Leaves, they perifh in Win- 
ter, and put forth afrefli in the Spring. 
IX. The ^alities. The firft is hot in the firft 
Degree and dry in the fourth * Aftringent, biting 
and very ftyptick in Tafte, and, as Rondelet'ws 
thinks, of a deleterious or mortiferous Quality. The 
other three kinds are like in all their Qualities to 
Englijh Maiden-hair -, and therefore, as to their 
Specification, Preparations and Virtues, we lhall 
referr you thither. 
X. The Specification. The firft of thefe kills 
Worms, and deftroys the Roots of the Hair. 
XI. The Preparations. You may have therefrom, 
1. A Ponder of the Root. 2. A Cataplafm. 
The Virtues. 
XII. The Ponder of the Root. Matthiolus lays, 
that if it is mixed with Salt and Bran, and given to 
Horfes, that it kills Worms in them : but I fuppofe 
it mult be repeated Morning and Night for feveral 
days. 
XIII. The Cataplafm. It is made of the Roots 
and Leaves bruifed and beaten together. Diof corides 
fays, that if it is applied to places troubled with 
Hair after Sweating, ( becaufe then the Pores are 
open, and fo give a more ready inlet to the Virtue 
of the Medicament) it is a Depilatory, or a good 
Remedy to deftroy the Roots of Hairs. 
CHAP. CCLXI. 
Of FERN Rock or Stone. 
T.^p FI E Names. It is called in Greek, TiiT&uonlk- 
JL e«, li-netf mT&u* ; in Latin, Filix Saxatihs, 
Cham it fih x : in Englijh , Rock or Stone Fern 3 alfo 
Dwarf or Small Fern, 
II. The Kinds. Authors make many kinds here- 
of, as, 1. Filix pumi la faxatilis prima Clufii, The 
firft Small or Stone Fern of Cl aft us. 2. Filix pumi- 
la faxatilis altera Clufii, The lecond Stone Fern of 
Clufius. 3. Filix faxatilis Jcliis non f err at is. Small 
Stone Fern, with Leaves not dented., 4. Filix faxa- 
tilis crifpa. Small curled Stone Fern. 7. Filiculii 
font ana. Small Rock Fern. 6. Chamafihx Anglica, 
Englifh Dwarf Fern, or Sea Fern. 7. Filix faxati- 
lis Tragi , Naked Stone Fern. 
III. The Defcriptions. The firft fmall Stone Fern 
of Clufius, has a long, black and (lender Root, creep- 
ing under the upper Cruft of the Earth, and f pl ead- 
ing aflant, with a few fiender hard Fibres adjoining 
thereto. From this Radicle fpring forth feveral 
Stalks of winged Leaves, about a foot high, which 
is branched out into feveral Wings of Leaves, very 
like unto the Female hern, but much lcfs, much 
tenderer and delicate than they, and more finely 
dented on the edges, and fpotted alfo on the Backs 
of them, like to the other Ferns. 
IV. The fecond, or Second Stone Fern of Clufius, 
has a thick Head of a Root, much like to that of the 
firft Male Fern. From which fpring forth many 
fmall Knobs, with a vaft number of black Fibres or 
Threads. From this Flead of the Root fpring up 
feveral ftrait round Stalks of Leaves, green at firft, 
but blackifh when full grown, about four or five 
inches high, (hooting forth winged Leaves from the 
main Stalk upwards, with Dentings in on both 
fides, like unto the Male Fern, but much lefs, and 
finer, and Ipotted on the back of them, as the for- 
mer. 
V. The third, or Small Stone Fern with Leave 
not dented, has a Root like to the Male Fern, a^i 
grows very like it, with Stalks of winged Leav d 
laving that they are very much lefs, ( as is the whole 
Plant) and not indented on the edges, but whole 
or fmooth, like unto the Water Fern. 
VI. The fourth, or Small curled Stone Fern, has 
a Root compofed of many blackifh Fibres, fpringing 
out from the thick Head of a Root : from which 
Head fpring up fmall Stalks, fcarcely four or five 
inches high, which are let on both fides with ten- 
der foft Strings of very fmall Leaves, fo finely di- 
vided and dented, that they feem curled •, of a dark 
green color upwards, and paler below towards the 
bottom, having brownilh or reddifh Dull like Spots 
on the backfides, as Spleen-wort has. 
VII. The fifth, or Small Rock Fern, is a fmall 
Dwarf Fern, refembling in its Root, Stalks and 
Leaves the Common Fern, but very much lefs , yea 
much lefs than any of the laft deferibed : tho’ it 
grows low, yet it bullies out with many (mail and 
dark green Leaves, refembling the Ordinary Ferns. 
VIII. The fixth, or Englilh Dwarf Fern, has a 
thick brownifh Root, compofed of a mul Li tide of Fi- 
bres or fmall Strings. From the Head of this Root 
fpring up feveral bright, lhining, blackifh Stalks, 
two or three inches high, on which are placed many 
rough, thick, lhining, blackilh Leaves, with fome 
brownilh Spots on them, as other Ferns have, and 
are finely fnipt about the edges. 
IX. The feventh, or Naked Stone Fern, has a 
thick tufted Root, compofed of a multitude of fmall 
Fibres : from the Head of which fpring forth many 
hard and rough Stalks, naked or bare, without 
Leaves, having fome Spots on them, as the Ferns 
have : thefe Stalks are only forked at the tops, di- 
vided into two, and fometimes into three (hort parts, 
bowing or bending down their Heads, having the 
Smell and Tafte of Fern. In my Opinion, as this 
has not the leaft Refemblai)ce in its Form of Fern, 
but rather of Gramen or Grafs •, fo it ought to be 
Z z 2 accounted 
