Diplazium esculentum
(Retz.) Sw.
Woodsiaceae
Anisogonium esculentum (Retz.) C.Presl
Asplenium ambiguum Sw.
Asplenium esculentum (Retz.) C.Presl
Athyrium esculentum (Retz.) Copel.
Callipteris ambigua (Sw.)T.Moore
Callipteris esculenta (Retz.) J.Sm.
Digrammaria esculenta (Retz.) Fée
Diplazium malabaricum Spreng.
Hemionitis esculenta Retz.
Microstegia esculenta (Retz.) C.Presl
Common Name: Vegetable Fern
Plant spreading to form a large clump
Photograph by: Forest and Kim Starr
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Young fronds harvested for use as a vegetable
Photograph by: ??????
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
A salad dish of vegetable fern with mayonnaise.
Photograph by: Mk2010
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
General Information
Diplazium esculentum is a terrestrial fern with a short and erect rhizome that is occasionally trunk-like or can be creeping[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. It grows about 50cm tall[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for its edible young leaves (croziers); it is occasionally cultivated, and is sometimes sold in local markets[
,
438- Title
- Ferns and Man in New Guinea
- Publication
-
- Author
- Croft. J.
- Website
- http://www.anbg.gov.au/fern/ferns-man-ng.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Based on a paper presented to Papua New Guinea Botany Society in 1982, gives a brief guide to the uses of 42 species of fern in New Guinea. Published on the internet.
]. There are relatively few edible ferns, but this species is considered to be the most important edible fern in the world[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The plant is also grown as an ornamental[
437- Title
- Fern Databank, Sahah.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.forest.sabah.gov.my
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Information on the ferns growing at Sabah in Indonesia. A description, habitat and plant uses are givem, often accompanied by a photo.
].
Known Hazards
Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[
172- Title
- Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Schofield. J. J.
- Publisher
- Alaska Northwest Books; Alaska
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 0882403699
- Description
- A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
667- Title
- Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Botany Vol. 2
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- The British Museum; London.
- Year
- 1955 - 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of articles on botany. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
Range
E. Asia - southern China, Indian subcontinent, through southeast Asia to Indonesia and Philippines.
Habitat
River banks, open places in wet ground, at elevations below 900 metres in Sri Lanka[
667- Title
- Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Botany Vol. 2
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- The British Museum; London.
- Year
- 1955 - 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of articles on botany. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Fern |
| Height | 0.50 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Diplazium esculentum is a plant of the humid tropics[
611- Title
- Five hundred plant species in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hari Priyadi et al
- Website
- http://www.cifor.cgiar.org
- Publisher
- Center for International Forestry Research; Indonesia.
- Year
- 2010
- ISBN
- 978-602-8693-22-6
- Description
- Brief details of the uses of 500 Indonesian plants. It is available as a PDF document to download from the internet.
].
Grows best when there is an abundance of organic matter in the soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
The very young leaves are eaten as lalab (a vegetable salad served with sambal) with rice[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The young fronds are boiled and used as a vegetable[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
,
437- Title
- Fern Databank, Sahah.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.forest.sabah.gov.my
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Information on the ferns growing at Sabah in Indonesia. A description, habitat and plant uses are givem, often accompanied by a photo.
].
Medicinal
A decoction of the leaves is used as a tonic for women after they have given birth[
437- Title
- Fern Databank, Sahah.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.forest.sabah.gov.my
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Information on the ferns growing at Sabah in Indonesia. A description, habitat and plant uses are givem, often accompanied by a photo.
].
The plant is used in traditional medicine[
611- Title
- Five hundred plant species in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hari Priyadi et al
- Website
- http://www.cifor.cgiar.org
- Publisher
- Center for International Forestry Research; Indonesia.
- Year
- 2010
- ISBN
- 978-602-8693-22-6
- Description
- Brief details of the uses of 500 Indonesian plants. It is available as a PDF document to download from the internet.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Spores - they germinate readily and develop quickly[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Division of plantlets that are produced at the roots[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
