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expectorant, diuretic and emmenagogue. Used as a plaster it is considered to be discutient, and is applied to chronic tumors of various kinds."

Drynaria :— Fronds articulate with the caudex, with either a separate sterile frond like an oak leaf or the base of the frond pinnatifid and oak-leaf-like ; veins copiously anastomosing, forming quadrate or hexagonal areoles ; sori small, round or oval, numerous. ( Bed dome).

Syn. :— Polypodium quercifolium, Linn.

Ref. :— Bedd. Handbook to the Ferns of Br. In., p. 341.

Vern : — Bâsingh or Wândur-bâshing (Mar.).

Habitat : — Through the Indian Plains, or very low down on mountain on trees or rock. Seen in the Court House garden of Ratnagiri on a tree in 1898-1905. Rajapur Ratnagiri District 1899-1904. (K. R. Kirtikar.)

Rhizome creeping, short, stout, densely clothed with red-brown satiny lanceolate-subulate soft scales, which have a cordate base, and are ¼-½in. long ; fronds coriaceous or sub-coriaceous of two kinds, sterile ones varying in size from 3-12 inches and more long, and 7-8 inches wide, green when very young, but soon turning dark-brown, glossy, cordate-ovate variously lobate-pinnatifid, sometimes half way down to the costa ; fertile ones 2-3ft. long, long-petiolate broad-ovate deeply nearly to the rachis pinnatifid, segments 5-9 inches long, 1-1½ inches wide, oblong acuminate, entire ; venation manifest, costules distinct rather distant, united by transverse veins forming 4-6 primary soriferous areoles filled up with a network of small quadrangular areoles with or without free veins ; sori compital small, numerous, two in each primary areole, consequently in 2 series between and parallel with the costules.

Uses : — For medicinal purposes those plants which grow upon the strychuos nux-vomica are preferred. The author of the Wanaushadi Prakâsh gives the following prescription containing Bâsingh as the best cure for phthisis : — Take 2 tolas of Kâjrabâsingh, 2 tolas of Chiretta ; 1 tola Ooksi flowers