Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707
DIPLAZIUM ESCULENTUM (RETZ.) SW. MULTIPURPOSE FERN: ETHNO-TAXONOMICAL REVIEW
SHOBHIT KUMAR SRIVASTAVA AND JONNADA A.V. PRASADA RAO Department of Biotechnology DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT:
Diplazium esculentum Retz. Swartz (Athyriaceae) is one of the top preferred multi used fern in the
Himalayas. In many parts of eastern Southeast Asia, people use this mineral- and energy-rich edible
species by cooking the upper shoots/fronds (Fiddlehead) as vegetables. It is probably the most
commonly consumed fern. It is known as Pucuk paku and Paku tanjung in Malaysia, Pako in the
Philippines, Kuware-shida in Japan, dhekia in Assam "Dhenkir Shaak in Bengali", Paloi saag in
sylheti and Linguda, Lingru, Kothira, Moikhandol in northern India, referring to the curled fronds. In
Thailand it is known as Phak khut khaao. They may have mild amounts of fern toxins but no major
toxic effects are recorded. This article reviews the complete details of the morphology, distribution,
ethno botanical and economic uses.
Key word: Diplazium esculentum, Diversity, Pteridophytes, Ethno botanical.
INTRODUCTION
The Pteridophytes, consisting of the ferns and ferns –allies are one of the oldest land plant groups on
earth and constitute vast groups of vascular Cryptogams. Diplazium Sw. is a genus of 340-400 species
generally of wet tropical forests of low to medium elevations. The species of Diplazium are not easy to
identify due to the differences in the degree of dissection of the fronds in the same species. In India
there are 29 species and few varieties of Diplazium of these nine species and a variety are said to be
present in South India (Dixit 1984) and 13 species reported from Sri Lanka (Sledge 1982). Based on
the identification of the present status of Diplazium by Dr. W.A. Sledge (Pers. Comm.) nine species
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have been recognized. About 380 species the world over are included under Diplazium. Eight species
and a hybrid are recorded from the west Himalaya following Fraser – Jenkins (1997b). Diplazium
esculentum (Retz). Sw. leaf is traditionally used in headache, pain, fever, wounds, dysentery, glandular
swellings, diarrhea and various skin infections. Diplazium esculentum (Retz). Sw. usually found in
places where water is plenty such as near streams, river, waterfalls, canals etc. India is currently
thought to have about 1150 species of ferns and fern-allies (Dixit1984, Chandra 2000, Fraser-Jenkins
2008), the great majority being present in the Himalayan region and/or in further south India. Uttar
Pradesh, being a low-lying State with many semi dry regions, has far less Pteridophyte species than
shortly further north in Nepal and Uttarakhand (Clarke 1880, Beddome 1883, Hope 1899-1904,
Chowdhury 1911, Khullar 1994, Singh et al. 2014). D. esculentum is marketed in major parts of the
Indian Himalayas, neighboring Nepal, Darjeeling, Skikim, Gangtok and many other countries. A
bunch of stout shoots with fronds is sold locally at 8–12 rupees in Sikkim, Darjeeling and Himanchal
Pradesh. The pickle eaten with meals or at breakfast is very popular among the native people
throughout the Himalayan states where the plant is available, with local market rates of lingri/ningru
pickle, in Himanchal Pradesh as well as Sikkim and Darjeeling.
TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION
Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw. In Schrad. L. Bot. 1801 (1): 312 (1803); Beddome, Handb. Fern Br. India, 192 (1883); Mehra & Bir, Pteridophytic flora of Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas 148. 1964; Dixit, A census of Indian Pteridophytes, 132, 1984; Thapa, Pterid. of Nepal, 109, 2002; Singh & Panigrahi, Ferns and ferns-allies of Arunachal Pradesh I: 161. 2005; Fraser- Jenkins, Taxonomic Revi. of Three Hundred Ind. Subcon. Pter. With a Revi. Cen. List, 584, 2008; Fraser- Jenkins, Kandel & Pariyar, Fern and Ferns allies of Nepal I: 25. 2015
Hemionitis esculenta Retz. , Obs Bot. VI: 38 (1791).
Asplenium esculentum (Retz.) Presl, Rel. Haenk. 1:45 (1825); Hook., Sp. Fil. 3:268 (1860).
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Anisogonium esculentum (Retz.) C. Presl , Tent. Pterid. 116 (1836); Beddome, Handb. Ferns Br .India, 192 (1883). Athyrium esculentum (Retz.) Copel. In Philipp. Journ. Sci. Sect. C, 3: 295 (1908); Holttum, Rev. F1. Mal. 2: 562 (1954).
Rhizome erect, (Fig. a,b) up to 4 cm thick, densely scaly at the apex; scales linear lanceolate, 8 x 1
mm, apex long acuminate, margin with short, simple or bipartite teeth. Stipes tufted, up to 62 cm long,
8 mm thick, dark brown or black at the, pale or grey – brown or stramineous above, sparsely scaly at
the base, glabrous above; purplish bands scattered throughout the stipe and rachis. (Fig. c) Lamina
deltoid, up to 110 × 60 cm apex acuminate, base truncate, bipinnate with simply pinnate apex; Pinnae
up to seven pairs, basal one to two pairs opposite or sub opposite, rest of the pairs alternate, up to 18
cm apart with up to 3 cm long stalk, narrowly deltoid with a deeply lobed terminal pinna, up to 40 x 30
cm, apex acuminate, base truncate; pinnules up to 15 pairs, alternate, basal few pairs sessile, up to3 cm
apart, oblong lanceolate, up to 11 × 1.5 cm apex acuminate, base truncate, margin serrate at the apex,
shallowly lobed or crenate in the rest; lobes broadly deltoid, oblique, margin groved above, flattened
below with a narrow wing on either side of the costa both above and below ; (Fig. d, e) veins up to
seven pairs, pinnate, veins in the unlobed part of the adjacent groups joining to form an irregular
excurrent vein reaching the base of the sinus or the side of the margin of the lobe. Pinnae dark green,
glabrous above and below; texture herbaceous. Sori (Fig. f ) up to 1.5 mm wide, linear, all along the
veins except the base and apex; indusial pale brown with margin; spores 50 × 25 µm, exine densely,
finely granulose.
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION: Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam.
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SPORE f
a. Rhizome, b. Rhizome Scale, c. Frond, d. Pinna enlarged showing venation, e. Pinna enlarged showing anastomosing of veins and Sori
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VERNACULAR/COMMON NAMES: Dhenkir shaak (Bengali), Guo gou cai jue (Chinese),
Fougere a legume (French), Pako (Philippines), Kuware shida (Japan), Linguda, Linguru, Kothira
(Assam and Darjeeling) etc.
ETHNO-BOTANICAL USES:
Critically coiled young fresh frond is boiled with salt and taken internally for maintaining all round
health. (Shil and Dutta Chaudhary, 2009). The Rhizomes are kept in the granaries to check insects and
pests. (Augustin and Thomas, 2015). Boiled young fresh fronds preferably with circinate venation are
used as vegetables for improving digestion, appetite and are also useful in constipation. (Rawat and
Chaudhary, Kaushik and Dhiman 1995). Decoction prepared form rhizome and young are used for
haemoptysis and cough. ( Borthakur, 2001). Used as laxative (Manickam and Benjamin, 2005). Rich
in Micronutrients, beta carotene, folic acid & minerals (Ca, Fe & P) anti nutritional factors like Phytic
acids, trypsin and tannins are present but in safe quantities. Mature fronds used as fodder. Diplazium
esculentum is an indigenous edible fern in the world and it is concluded that its properties would be
helpful in treating different kinds of diseases and other economic uses.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are thankful to SERB New Delhi, India (Sanction No.PDF/2017/000407) for the financial
assistance and are grateful to the Vice Chancellor, DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur Uttar
Pradesh for the facilities and the encouragement.
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