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ASPLENIUM RUTA-MURARIA. 
ASPLE'NIUM EUTA-MUEA'EIA. 
This is called Ruta-muraria, or Wall Rue, because its 
young leaves somewhat resemble those of the common 
Rue, and because, when away from its native mountains, 
it is rarely found growing anywhere but in the mortar 
on old walls. It is also called White Maidenhair , be¬ 
cause its full-grown leaves slightly resemble those of 
the true Maidenhair Fern, and because they have upon 
their surface a mealy or glaucous secretion. It is 
sometimes called the Rue-leaved Spleenviort, White 
Spleenwort, and Tentwort. 
The main, cone-shaped tap root is dark brown, scaly, 
furnished with black wiry rootlets, and tufted. From 
the tuft arise the fronds, which vary in height from 
one to four inches. Our cut represents thorn in both 
their dwarf and moro luxuriant growth. They are 
most dwarf when growing upon walls, and tallest when 
foimd upon the mountains. Leaf stalk green, except 
quite at its base, and there it is dark brown. About 
one-half of the stalk naked, and the other half clothed 
with leaf its mostly in threes, and two threes together, 
the middlo branch only being alternately leafloted, and 
that not always. The leafits are stout, deep green, 
wedge-shaped, or partly rhomboid, stalked, spreading 
horizontally, or slightly drooping, their end blunt, or 
romided, and deeply, irregularly notched. The barren 
leafits are broader and shorter than those which are 
fruitful. All havo equal-sized veins spreading in a fan 
