L 5 B.X 
1130 
Of the Hihorie of Plants. 
the nerue that you cannot fee betweene them, with maruellous fmall mckes by their fic es, and on i 
their round tops : each leafe hath alfo two rowes of dufty feed fcales ; the figures- fet forth by Lo- ; 
bcl, Tabcrn. and Gerard, smdc: the title of Filix mar, do well referable this Feme. This grow espial- I 
tifully in moll places in fhadowie woods and copfes. 
3 Filix nuts non ramofa pinnulis angtifiis, raris,profunde dcnutis. 
The Ieattes are of a deepe greene, not clofely fet together on the the nerue, but you may far off 
p ee betwixt them, deeply indented by the fides, ending with a point not altogether fharpe : each j 
leafe hath alfo two rowes of dufty feed fcales. I haue not feene any figure well refembling this 
plant. This groweth alfo in many places in the fiiade. 
4 Filix mas non ramofi pinnules lath auricula! is Jpinofis. 
Theleauesareofadeepergreene than either of the twolaft deferibed, placed on the nerue not 
very clofe together, but that you may plainly fee between them •, each leafe (efpecially thofe next 
the ftalkc) hauingon that fide fartheft off the ftalk a large eare or outgrowing ending, with a fharp 
prick'e like a haire,as doth alfo the top of the leafe : fome of the fides of the leaues are alfo nicked, 
endin'? with the like pricke or haire. Each leafe hath tworowes of dufty feed fcales. T his I take to 
be Filix mas aculeatamaior Baubini. Neither haue I feene any figure refembling this plant.lt grow- 
eth abundantly on the fhadowie moift rockes by Maple-durham neere Peters-field in Hampfhire. 
John Goodyer. Iuly4. 1633. t 
2 The female Feme hath neither floures nor feed, but one only ftalke, chamfered, fomethiiig 
ed^ed, hauing a pith within of diners colours, the which being cut aflope, there appeareth a certain 
forme of a fpred-Eagle : about this ftand very many leaues which are winged, and like to the leaues 
of the male Feme, but Idler: the root is long and blacke, and creepeth in the ground, being now 
and then an inch thicke, or fomewhat thinner. This is alfo ofa ftrong fmell,as is the male. 
q| The Place. 
Both the Femes are delighted to grow in barren dry and defart places : and as Horace teftifieth. 
NegleBis vrenda Filix innafeitur agris. 
It comes notvp in manured and dunged places, for if it be dunged (as TheophraftitsJil/.S.cap.S. re- - 
porteth) itwitherethaway. 
The male ioyethin open and champion places, on mountaines and ftony grounds, as Diofcorides 1 
faith, tit grovves commonly in fhadowie places vnder hedges, t 
The female is often found about the borders of fields vnder thornes and in fhadowie woods. 
«[y The Time. 
Both thefe Femes wither away in winter : in the fpring there grow forth new leaues, which con- - 
tinue greeneall Sommer long. 
ff The Flames. 
The former is called in Greeko'navit Tficander in his difeourfe of Treacle nameth it = in La- 1 
tine Filix mas .- in Italian, Felce .- in Spanifh, Helecho , Falguero, and Feyto .- in high Dutch, 1 
jfitmct inFrench, Fougere } oi Feuchiere rnajle .- in low-Dutch, UUatEtl t in Englifh, 
male Feme. 
The fecond kinde is called in Greeke s nuM/it, that is, Filix foemina , or female Feme : in Latine,as 
Diofcorides noteth among the baftard names, Lingna ceruina .- in high-Dutch, t© 3 lttt jfatn tOCt 3 
Mill, and (Stcof? jfattlfttatlt : in low- Dutch, UatCtl tEHjflmi : in French, Fougcre fcmeUe . in Eng- 
lifh, Brake, common Feme, and female Feme. 
Sff T he Temperature . 
Both the Femes are hot,bitter,anddry, and fomethingbinding. 
f rhe Vertues. 
A The roots of the male Feme being taken to the weight of halfe an ounce, driueth forth long flat 
wormes out ofthe belly, as Diofcorides writeth, being drunke in Mcdeor honied water^and more 
effediually, if it be giuen with two fcruplesor two third parts of a dram of Scamonie.or ofblacke 
Hellebor : they that will vfe it, faith he,muft firft eate Garlicke. After the fame manner, as Galen 1 
addeth, it killeth the childe in the mothers wombe. The root hereof is reported tobegood for 
them that haue ill fpleenes :and being ftamped with fwines greafeand applied, it is a remedie a- 
gainftthe pricking o^the reed :for proofe hereof, Diofcorides faith the Feme dieth if the Reed be 
planted about it ; and contrariwife, that the Reed dieth if it be compaffed with Feme: which is; 
vaine to thinke, that ithapnethby any antipathie or naturall hatred, and not by rcafon this Feme : 
profpereth not in moift places, nor the Reed in dry. 
p The female Feme is oflike operation with the former, as G,i/e» faith. Diofcorides reports, That ; 
this bringethbarrenneffe, efpecially to women-, and that it caufeth women to be deliuered before J 
their rime ; he addeth, that thepouder hereof finely beaten is laid vpon old vlcers,and healeth 
the s 
