Basbayij, basfaij – polypodium

Essence.
These are thin branches of an earthy color with blackish and slightly reddish nodes, with branches like those of a worm - a centipede. They taste sweet and astringent. Some say that they grow on oak trees, in forests, but they also say that they grow on stones.

Choice.
The best polypodium inside is pistachio-colored, as thick as a little finger, greenish-yellowish, dense, fresh, slightly bitter, but sweet and astringent; it tastes like cloves.

Nature.
Hot in the second degree, dry in the third; very drying.

Actions and properties.
Dissolves, promotes ripening. Resolves swelling and fluids.

Tools with joints.
A medicated polypodium bandage helps with “nerve constriction.”

Eruption organs.
Without pain, it relaxes with black bile, removes mucus and watery chyme. It is boiled in rooster broth or fish broth for kulanj, or in vegetable broth. If powdered polypodium root is poured into water sweetened with honey and drunk, it relieves bile and mucus. At one time, polypodium is drunk from six karamas - and a karama is six carats - to two dirhams. It should be given to drink with honey diluted with water, and before that give a little citron. Boiled wine can be drunk for up to four dirhams.

Substitutes.
Polypodium is replaced with the same amount of dodder and half the weight of “Indian salt”.