Flowering fern, Seven finger fern
Tectaria zeylanica

Family: Tectariaceae

What it is like

A erect fern with short creeping underground stout rhizomes. The plant is up to 60 cm high. They bear solitary or sometimes several fronds. The stalk of the leaf frond is up to 25-35 cm long and 12-20 cm wide. At the tip it has 3 segments of the sterile frond. The fertile part is like a spike and comes from the stalk. The spores are yellow in brown spore bodies which are 0.8 mm across.

There is only one Helminthostachys species. It is used in medicine in Bangladesh. Now Tectaria. Also put in the family Dryopteridaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical fern. They grow in shady sites in the forest. They are found throughout the Philippines in open bushy places near sea level and on damp ground.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, East Timor, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Northeastern India, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The young fronds of this fern are eaten raw as a salad or cooked as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, fronds

How it is grown

Plants are grown by splitting the rhizomes.

Its other names

Local names

Dhagrajawa, Kamraj, Mayur kutea, Tukod, Tukod-langit

Synonyms

Acrostichum quercifolium Retz.; Botrychium zeylanicum (L.) Sw.; Gymnopteris quercifolia (Retz.) Bernh.; Helminostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook.; Leptochilus zeylanicus (Houtt.) C. Chr.; Ophiala zeylanica (L.) Desv.; Ophioglossum zeylanicum Houtt.; Osmunda zeylanica L.; Quercifilix zeylanica (Houtt.) Copel; Helminthostachys dulcis Kaulf.;