ASPLENIUM TRICHOMANES, COMMON MAIDENHAIR
SPLEENWORT.
ASPLENIUM Trichomanes ; frondibiis pinnatis, pinnis subrotundo-oblongis obtusis crenatis basi trun-
cato-cuncatis, stipite discolore.
ASPLENIUM Trichomanes. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 1540. Huds. Angl.p. 452. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4.
vol. 3. p. 750. Lightf. Fl. Scot. p . 662. Fl. Dan. t. 1 19 . Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2.
vol. 2. p. 13. Willd. Sp. PL vol. 5. p. 331. Smith Fl. Brit. p. 1 12 6 . Engl. Bot.
t. 576. Woodv. Med. Bot. t '. 204. Swartz. Syn. Filic.p. 81. Schukhr. Filic. t. 74.
Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. S. vol. 2.p . 554. Fl. Gall. Syn. p. 113. Wahl. Fl. Lapp. p. 285.
Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2. vol. 5 .p . 5 Iff. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . IL p. 155.
ASPLENIUM foliis pinnatis, pinnis ovatis crenatis. Hall. Helv. n. 1693.
TRICHOMANES. English Black Maiden-hair. Raii Syn. p. 119.
/3 TRICHOMANES foliis eleganter incisis. Dill, in Raii Syn.p. 120 .
Bohem. Netjk. Dan. Jumfruchaar. Dut. Wederhood. Fr. Doradille politric. Germ. D e r
Widerthon. It. Port, et Span. Politrico. Norw. Smaae Blom. Pol. Rzcsa skalna druga.
Swed. Stenbryt. Welsh. Dueg-redynen Gwallt y forwyn.
Class a nd Ord er. CRYPTOGAMIA FILICES.
[N atural Ord er . FILICES, Linn., Juss., Decand., Br. D iv . I. GYRATiE.]
Gen . Char. Sori lineares, sparsi, dorsales. Involucrum e vena lateraliter ortum ducens, marsine superiore
libero. Br.
Ge n . Cha r. Sori linear, scattered, dorsal. Involucre arising from a lateral vein, opening a t the superior margin.
Radix perennis, e fibris numerosis, fuscis, ramosis,
dense tomentosis.
Frondes plurimæ, cæspitosæ, quatuor- ad sex-pollicares,
lineari-lanceolatæ, basi apiceque attenuates, pin-
natæ, pinnis remotiusculis, patentibus, subrotundo
oblongis, obtusis, crenatis, glabris, indistincte
nervosis, basi vix æquali cuneato-truncatis.
Stipe s brevis, semiteres. Rachis semiteres (una cum stipite)
atropurpureus, supra canaliculatus.
Sori lineares, plerumque sex in singula pinnula.
I nvolucrum lineari-oblongum, intus dehiscens, inte-,
gerrimum.
Capsulai numerosæ, fuscæ, stipitatæ, annulatæ, annulo
incomplete.
Semina rotundato-angulata, fusca.
Fig.
Root perennial, thickly tufted with numerous, brown,
branched fibres.
FRONDS-many, tufted, from four to six inches high, between
linear and lanceolate, attenuated a t the
base and point, pinnated, the pinnas distant,
spreading, subrotundo-oblong, obtuse, crenated,
glabrous, indistinctly nerved, cuneato-truncate at
the base and scarcely equal there.
St ipe s short, semi-cylindrical. Rachis semicylindrical
(and as well as the stipes), purplish-black, channelled
above.
So r i linear, mostly six upon each pinnule.
I nvolucre between linear and oblong, opening interiorly,
entire.
Capsules numerous, brown, stipitate, furnished with
an incomplete ring.
Seeds roundish-angular, brown.
1. Portion of the upper surface o f a frond. Fig.'2. Portion of the under side of the same. Fig. 3. Pinna,
seen beneath. Fig. 4. Capsule. Fig. 5. Seeds:—all more or less magnified.
The Maiden-hair Spleenwort is common upon old walls and rocks, especially in moist situations, and was much
employed by ancient practitioners in physic as a laxative; and Boerhaave recommends the juice of it in the cure of
hypochondriac affections. But now, though I believe it is not entirely discarded from the Pharmacopoeia, it gives
place to medicines of a more decided and more powerful nature.
Its fructification may be found almost during the whole year, but most plentifully in the summer months.
In size and general habit this species comes very near Asplenium viride, but, besides the different colour of the
stipes and rachis, the A. viride has the pinnas rather ovate than oblong, serrated and cuneate at the base—in fact
. y rhomboid. It is more difficult to distinguish our plant from the North American Asplenium melanocaulon,
which has, like it, a purple-black stem, but is smaller in all its parts, and has rounder pinnas,