The Natural History of Jamaica. 71
Book, make my acceptance of them so plain, that there be no doubt about them. As to the Etymology of the Word Surculus, its Definition from Festus, etc, I take them not to be material Arguments, and could prove my Sense of it to agree very well with what he and the best Authors say, were it needful to insist on this matter.
All these sorts of Ferns, no question, may be made use of for the same purposes, as those of the same Kinds in Europe.
I. Lunaria elatior Adianti albi folio duplici spica. Cat. p. 14. Osmanda Americana filiculae folio Tournefort. El. bot. p 437. Osmunda filiculae folio major. Ejusd. Inst. p. 547. An filix saxatilis rutae murariae foliis Americana seu adianthum album folio filicis ex insula Jamaicensi. Plukenet. Alm. p. 150?
This is sometimes about a Foot, but mostly six or seven Inches high, having a very slender green Stalk, at coming first out of the Earth, being of a dark colour. At about four Inches from the Ground, out of one side of the Stalk goes one Branch, to which are alternatively set on Twigs, which have several broad irregularly figur'd roundish Pinnulaes sometimes deep cut, at other times a little indented on the edges, being of a pale green colour, like to adiantum album, and having many Furrows appearing radiated. Out of the Ala or bosom of this Branch rise two round, small, green, two Inches long Stalks, towards the tops of which are several small Bunches of first green, afterwards ferrugineous Dust, like to that of Lunaria, Osmunda Regalis, or the other Ferns. The Root is like that of Polypodium, and is covered with a blackish Hair, having several Fibrils like the Roots of other Ferns.
It grew on a Rock by the Banks of Rio-Cobre, below the Town, on the same side of the River.
This Plant is perfectly differing in all its parts the Filix non ramofa pinnulis crebris obtusis crenatis. Cat.p.21. As one may easily see by comparing their Descriptions and Figures, so that one would wonder how Dr. Plukenet came to doubt whither they were the same in his Mantissa, p. 78.
II. Lunaria elatior matricaria folio spica duplici. Cat.p.14. Tab.25. Fig.6. Lunaria racemosa cicutariae foliis Jamaicana. Plukenet. Alm. p. 208.
This is much higher than the former, rifing a Foot of more from the Ground. In its higher Spikes, which are double, it exactly agrees with the former, only the Leaves or Pinnulae, are longer, narrower, pot quite cut in to the middle Rib or Twig, and of a paler green colour, something in their Divisions, like the Leaves of Matricaria.
It grew with the former.
III. Phyllitis non sinuata minor apice folii radices agente. Cat.p.14. Tab.26. Fig.1. Filicifolia phyllitis parva saxatilis Virginiana per summitates foliorum radicosa breviore & Plukenet. Alm. p. 154.
This has a small, scaly black Root, with many long Fibers drawing its Nourishment, of a dark brown colour. The Leaves are many, rising from the same root, of a different magnitude, having no Foot-Stalks, the largest being two Inches and a half long, and about half an Inch broad near the middle where broadest, increasing from the Root thither, and thence decreasing, growing very narrow, and ending in a point. This point bows down its self to the Ground, strikes Fibers, takes Root, and sends out rounder Leaves, in time growing longer, and with their ends taking Root, and so propagating its self. The Seed lies in round spots on the back of the Leaf of each side of the middle Rib. It
