Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

272 FAMILY HERBAL.
Polvpod y . Po
lypodium.
A SMALL plant of the fern kind. It is a foot
high, and consists only e*f a single leaf. Several of
these commonly rise from the same root, but each
is a separate and entire plant. The stalk is naked
for live inches,, and from tin nee to the top stand on
each "side, a row of small, oblong, and narrow
segments, resembling' so many small leaves,
an odd one at the em). The whole plant is
with
of a
bright green colour, but the backs of these divisions
of the leaf, are at a certain season, toward autumn,
ornamented with a great number of round brown
spots,
these are the seeds : those of all ferns are
carried in the same manner. The root is long,
slender, and creeps upon the surface of old stump*
of trees among the moss. The root is used, and it
is best fresh ; it is a safe and gentle purge ; the best
way of giving it is in decoction, in which form it
always operates also by urine. It is good in the
jaundice and dropsies, and is an excellent ingredient
in diet-drinks against the scurvy ; but beside these
considerations, it is a safe and good purge, on all
common occasions.
The Pomegranate Turn:. Granatus.
A COMMON wild tree in Spain and Ita \
kept with us in gardens.
It grows to the bigm
'
of our apple-trees.
Tlu* brandies spread irrcgi
larlv;thev have a reddish brown bark, anal ha*
here and there a few thorns. The leaves are u
merous ; on the extremities of the branches tlu
are small, oblong, narrow, and of a fine gret".
The dowers are large, and of a beautiful deep red
the fruit is as big as a large apple, and has a brov
woody covering ; it contains within a great qu