Lib. 2. Of the Hiftory of Plants. 1133 
«] The Dcfcription. 
1 THe leaues of Polypodie might be 
thought to be like thofe of male 
Feme, but that they are far Idler, and not nic- 
kedatall in theedges:thefedoprefent!y fpring 
vp 1 from the roots,beingcuton both the edges 
with many deepe gafhes,euen hard to the mid - 
die rib • on the vpper fide they are fmooth, on 
the nether fide they are lightly powdred as it 
werewith dufty markes : the root is long, not a 
finger thick, creepinga(lope,on which are fecn 
certaine little buttons like to thole pits and 
dents that appeare in the tailes of cuttle fifhes : 
this hath in it a certaine fvveetne(fe,with a tafte 
fomethingbarlh : this kindeof Feme likewife 
wanteth not onely floures and feed, but ftalkes 
alfo, 
2 Polypodie of the Oke is much likevn- 
to that of the wall, yet the leaues of it are more 
finely cut, fmooth on the vpper fide, of a pale 
green color,together with the ftalkes and mid- 
dle ribs ; on the nether fide rough like thofe of 
Feme : this Feme alfo liueth without a ftalke : 
it groweth without feed : the root hath many 
firings faftned to it, one folded within another, 
ofa meane bigneffe, and fweet in tafte : it fen- 
deth forth heere and there new dodkins or 
fprings, whereby it increafeth. 
% 3 Clufitso in his Exotickes , lib. 4, cap.' 
17. giues vs the Hiftory of an Indian Feme or 
l Polypody found amongft the papers of one D r . Nicholas Colic a Dutch Phyfitian, who died in his 
\ returne from the Eaft-Indies . The root of it wa s fix inches long, and almoft one thicke,of the fame 
I fhape and colour as the ordinarie one is.-from this cafne vp three Ieaues,of which the third was lef- 
1 ferthan the other two -the two larger were eleuen inches long, and their breadth from the mid- 
1 die rib (which was very large) was on each fide almoft fine inches ; the edges were diuided almoft 
like an Okenfeafe : from the middle rib came other veines that ran to the ends of thediuifions 
j and betweene thefe be fmaller veines varioufly diuaricated and netted, which made the leafe (hew 
prettily. The colour ofit was like that ofa dry oken leafe. Where D l . Colie gathered this it was 
vneertaine, for he had left nothing in writing, t 
The Pi iice. 
It groweth on the bodies ofold rotten trees, and alfo vpon old walls, and the tops ofhoufes : It 
is likewife found among rubbifh neere the borders of fields,efpecially vnder trees and thornes,and 
now and then in woods: and in fome places it groweth ranke and with a broader leafe, in others 
not To ranke, and with a narrower leafe. 
That which groweth on the bodies ofold Okes is preferred before the reftjin ftead of thismoft 
do vfe that which is lound vnder the Okes, which for all that is not to be termed Qnercimmfix Po- 
lypodie of the Oke. 
*|J The Time. 
Polypody is greenc all theyeere long and may be gathered at any time; itbringeth forth new 
leaues in the firftfpring. ' a 
The Names. 
The Grecians call it mm/w, of the holes ofthe fifhes Polypi, appearing in the roots : It is called 
in Latine, Polypodium , after the Greeke name, and many times FilicuU, as though they fhould fay 
Varna Fi/ix, or little Feme .-the Italians name it Polipodio : the Spaniards, Filipodio, and Po-lypodio . 
in high Dutch, flUngslfuff, ISiiUltlfatn, ©tQpffOOUtt?: in low Dutch, 2SOOItli)9tftl : in French, 
tolypode .■ and we of England,Poiypodie : that which groweth vpon the wall we call Polypodie of 
thewall,andthatonthe Oke, Polypodie of the Oke. 
*1 The Temperature. 
Polypodie doth dry, but yet vvithout biting as Galen writeth. 
Ccccc % The 
