Flora Medica

FILICALES.Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 399.ACROSTICHUM.Thecae clustered, covering the lower side of the leaf, or bothsides. Indusium none.1312. A. Huacsaro Ruiz in Lamb, cinch. 128. Cold elevatedhills of Peru, in the provinces adjoining the Cordilleras.Rhizoma horizontal, creeping, branched, about 2 feet long, coveredover by the leafstalks which curve upwards and produce the appearanceof a kind of cord or braid. Sterile leaves more than 1J foot long, flat;fertile ones narrower and almost twice as long, with the midrib carinatedon both sides ; stalk semicylindrical, ramentaceous. Sori intermixedwith hairs, ferruginous, or sometimes blackish, covering all theback of the fertile leaves. This plant is called Huacsaro in Peru, andCalaguala m diana or Cordoncillo by the Spanish settlers. The rhizoman cold infusion, and decoction, yields a red colour and a slight astrinigenttaste. Very inferior in action to the true Calaguala (PolypodiumCalaguala). Ruiz.POLYPODIUM.Theca3 placed on the veins, collected in roundish sori, whichare scattered or arranged in rows. Indusium none.1313. P. Calaguala Ruiz in Lamb, cinch. 120. t. 2. Coldparts of the Alps of Peru, in clefts and on the side of rocks.Rhizoma prostrate, creeping, flexuose, covered with spreading ramenta;after slow desiccation dark ash-colour, when the ramenta areremoved, and pale citron-colour with a compact texture in the inside.Leaves placed in 2 rows alternately on the upper side of the rhizoma,linear-lanceolate, stiff, quite smooth, from 6 inches to 1 foot long, revoluteat the margin, dotted with white on the upper side; stalk naked ;veins reticulated. Sori round, unequal, in 1 or more rows on each sideof the midrib. Called Ccallahuala or Calaguala in Peru. The rhizomawhen dried has great deobstruent, sudorfic, antivenereal and febrifugevirtues. It is used in decoction or infusion, allowing 1 ounce of therhizoma to 6 pints of water boiled down to 3 pints. Seldom to be hadgenuine in Europe. If genuine it is extremely bitter. Ruiz.1314-. P. crassifolium Linn. sp. pi. 1543. Ruiz in Lamb,cinch. 125. Phyllitis maculata amplissimo folio Petiv. Fil.p. 6. f. 8. Mountains and woods of Peru, in gravelly androcky naked warm situations.Rhizoma compressed, thick, horizontal, brittle, green, covered withdeciduous membranous ramenta. Leaves in 2 rows, placed alternately617