Mother fern
Diplazium proliferum

Family: Athyriaceae

What it is like

A moderate sized land fern with a scaly rhizome. It grows 1-2 m tall. The blade is up to 60 cm long. The leaflets are 2-3 cm wide and 15 cm long. The sori are long and attached along the veins. The leaves are large and crenate and placed alternatively along the stalk. The mature fronds often have small bulbils or plantlets growing in their leaf axils.

There are about 300-600 Diplazium species. They have also been put in the families Aspleniaceae and Woodsiaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs from Polynesia to Australia and in Africa. It is usually found near streams. In Indonesia it grows from sea level to 1,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Fiji, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pacific, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, West Africa

How it is used for food

Young fronds are cooked and eaten. They are added to vegetable soup. The bulbils on the stems are eaten raw or cooked.

It is only a minor food plant.

Edible parts

Fronds, leaves, vegetable, bulbils

How it is grown

Plantlets on the fronds take root and grow into new plants. Plants are also easily grown from spores. The bulbils can also be used to grow new plants.

Its other names

Local names

Banihelu, Dada’ame, Jito, Lalabe, Lama, Lame, Natete, Nonogara, Pakis buahan, Paku buwa, Paku udang, Paku labuh, Rosi, Takuma

Synonyms

Anisogonium attenuatum (C. Presl) C. Presl; Asplenium attenuatum C. Presl.; Asplenium decussatum Sw.; Asplenium luzoniense Spreng.; Asplenium spinulosum (Blume) Mett.; Asplenium proliferum Lam.; Athyrium proliferum Milde; Athyrium accedens (Blume) Milde; Calliptera accedens (Blume) J. Sm.; Calliptera attenuata (C. Presl) C. Presl.; Callipterus prolifera (Lam.) Bory; Callipterus spinulosa (Blume) J. Sm.; Diagrammaria robusta Fee; Diplazium accedens Blume; Diplazium decussatum Hook.; Diplazium incisum K. Schum.; Diplazium repandum Blume; Diplazium serratum K. Schum.; Diplazium spinulosum Blume; Diplazium spinulosum var. novoquineensis Rosenst.; Diplazium swartzii Blume; Elaphoglossum ornithoglossum Mickel;