2o6 The SEVEN VEGETABLE FAMILIES. 
were acquainted with it. Clussius calls It Polypodium Indicum j and 
others Polypodiun) folio Quercus. The Root is tuberous, irregular, and 
brown ; uiualiy of an oval lhape, and covered with a moffy matter on the 
furface. The firft Leaves which rife from this, are oval, indented, of a 
brownifh green, and placed on fliort Footdalks : thefe defend the fucceed- 
ing Leaves, which carry the Seeds of the Plant j and they feem formed 
for no other purpofe. The fucceeding Leaves are raifed on Footftalks, 
and deeply jagged, as our common Polypody ; and thefe bear the Fruc- 
tifications on their under fides. Round Clufters of Seeds are placed on 
the backs of all the Lobes or Divilions ; and in their various Aages of 
perfevStion we may, in a great meafure, trace their origin. 
The firll appearance is a rifing of the furface of the Leaf, like a Pa- 
pilla on the upper fide ; and this makes a minute hollow on the under 
part. By degrees the Papilla opens at the top, and there is an irregular, 
but roLindifli hole, with no green covering ; but entirely white and fpun- 
gy. At the fame time clullers of yellow Seeds ufually appear below ; 
which increafe in number, and, by degrees, the part of the Leaf over 
them lofes its prominent form, and becomes flat, and fometimes hollow : 
the opening in the center ftill remaining a plain white Spot. 
To explain this opening, it muft be obferved the Leaf is formed of two 
colourlefs Coats, with a green fubflance, the Blea, between them ; amidfl 
which feveral fide Ribs run from the main Fibre in each Lobe, and in- 
ofculate with one another, forming a beautiful reticulation. Thefe Ribs 
are Conic Clufters, covered with a little Flefli. Each, at its extremity, 
rifes thro’ the green parr, or Blea, to the furface, and forms a clubby Head, 
which is open to the air, and is white and fpungy. 
These Extremities ufually inofculate ; but toward the point of the Leaf 
they are often Angle. From the Ribs, in their courfe, (hoot others; and 
thefe lafl: terminate in clubbed Heads in the middle of the Leaf. One of 
thefe always fwells into the Papilla, and has its proper opening at the fum- 
mit. Sometimes tw’o of thofe Papillce are form’d fo near, that they run 
together : but then each has its proper opening. 
Every Seed-Veffel is of a roundifli form, and whitifli j and its circum- 
ference is wound about with a jointed Ring. Each is fupported by a long, 
delicate, tranfparent, Filament, by way of Footflalk, which is terminated 
by the Ring: And all thefe Footflalks rife from the under part of the ori- 
ginal Fapilla. The fubflance of the central part of each Seed-Veflel is 
jpungy,^like the open Head of the Papilla ; The Ring is membraneous, 
as 
