Common Name:

General Information

Ampelopteris prolifera is a scrambling fern with stems up to 4 metres long growing from a short-creeping rhizome 4 - 10mm in diameter. The plant produces proliferous buds scattered along the rachis of the fronds which can develop into new plants[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropics - widely distributed from Africa, through mainland Asia to New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia.

Habitat

Mostly found in full sunlight, and is often found scrambling amongst tall grasses, sedges or shrubs in freshwater swamps, or beside rivers, ponds and lakes, at elevations up to 1,250 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Fern
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[]. The plant requires permanent moisture; the rhizome is often found growing in water[].
The plants are usually sterile. The sori are produced particularly during dry periods. The freely proliferating buds result in effective local dispersal. It has been suggested that the plant spreads along river systems by flood waters breaking off the fronds and then depositing them on banks further downstream[].

Edible Uses

Although not often collected, young fronds of this fern are eaten as a fresh or cooked vegetable in India, although they are considered inferior to the more commonly eaten fronds of Diplazium species[].

Medicinal

The young fronds are laxative[]. The leaf-sap is drunk, in a mixture with Hypoestes aristata, to treat meningitis and encephalitis[].

The plant is also used in traditional medicine in India[].

Other Uses

A leaf extract showed antiviral activity against cucumber mosaic virus in Chenopodium amaranticolor[].

Propagation

Seed -

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