Asplenium nidus
L.
Bird’s Nest Fern, Crows Nest fern
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(c) Steve Fitzgerald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Steve Fitzgerald
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Fronds
Young leaves and fronds are used for soup in the Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands, and India. They serve as an emergency food during famines in China.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in well drained moist soils. It prefers a well protected partly shaded position but not heavy shade. It is drought and frost tender. It occurs on many atolls. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens. In Brisbane Botanical Garden as Asplenium antiquum.
Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Canada, Caroline Is, China, Christmas Island, Chuuk, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, French Polynesia, FSM, Guam, Hawaii, Indochina, Indonesia, Kiribati, Korea, Kosrae, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, North America, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tasmania, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Tonga, USA, Vietnam, Yap,
How to Identify
An evergreen fern. It grows to 1.5 m high and spreads 3 m across. It can grow by feeding on other plants. It forms nest like bowls on the upper side of branches. The underground thickened horizontal stem is dark brown and short. It is covered with blackish scales. The roots are hairy. The fronds grow out from a central point so that the fern forms rounded tussocks. The fronds are simple and entire and sword shape. The fronds can be 2 m long and up to 20 cm wide. They are dark or yellowish green. They have a raised, bluntly rounded mid vein.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from spores. It can also be grown from rhizome cuttings.
Propagation: Seed - Division.
Medicinal Uses
With a minimum temperature of 10 °C (50 °F), Asplenium nidus is widely cultivated in temperate regions as a houseplant. However, many plants sold as A. nidus are actually the related Asplenium australasicum. Asplenium nidus has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Asplenium nidus has been used locally in folk medicine for asthma, sores, weakness, and halitosis. The sprouts of A. nidus are eaten in Taiwan, known as 山蘇, pronounced shansu. (山 meaning "mountain", as in mountain vegetables). They may be stir-fried or boiled and are a traditional aboriginal vegetable, now popular enough to appear even on the menus of chain restaurants. The young fronds are eaten in the Polynesian islands, known as Luku in Niue, Laukatafa in Tuvalu and Laumea in Tokelau where it is often cooked together and eaten with coconut cream. The large fronds are also used in the wrapping and cooking of food.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Asplenium nidus is an epiphytic species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae, native to tropical southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, Hawaii (ʻēkaha in Hawaiian), Polynesia, Christmas Island, India, and eastern Africa. It is known by the common names bird's-nest fern (a name shared by some other aspleniums) or simply nest fern.
Other Information
It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea.
Notes
There are over 600-700 Asplenium ferns. They are mostly tropical and subtropical.
Names & Synonyms
Beluve, Chath, Daun semum, Dovidovitaneia, Ekaha, Galak, Gnezdnati sršaj, Kadaka, Kardoap, Karedep, Kartop, Kukulufi, Lau gadaha, Laugapapa, Laukatafa, Laukatapa, Laulu, Lau mea, Luku, Mihlihklihk, Nnuk, Pakis sarang burung, Paku langsuyarm, Paku pandan, Paku sarang burung, Rajang, Rumah langsuyar, Sehlik, Selimbur, Simbar merah, Tehnlik
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