Cibotium chamissoi
Kaulfuss
Hapu'u i 'i, Hapu 'u pulu, Hawaiian tree fern, Chamisso's manfern
(c) Damon Tighe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Damon Tighe
(c) J Brew, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by J Brew
(c) Damon Tighe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Damon Tighe
What to Eat
Edible parts: Stem - starch
Cibotium glaucum, from Hawaiʻi, is the most frequently encountered Cibotium species in the horticultural trade, along with its sibling species Cibotium chamissoi and the large-growing Cibotium menziesii. They are sometimes seen in California garden designs. Cibotium barometz is best known for its role in ancient medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used as an anti-inflammatory and an anodyne; its rhizome hairs are used in Malaysia and China as a styptic for wounds. It is still exported from Malaysia for this purpose. Hair-covered pieces of the rhizome, with bud stalks imitating legs, were used to lend credence to the medieval legend of the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, a half-sheep, half-plant hybrid. Historically, women in Hawaiʻi have used the furry part of the Cibotium as a tampon.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a tropical fern. It grows in moist rainforest in Hawaii from 300 -1800 m altitude.
Hawaii, Pacific,
How to Identify
A tree fern. It has an erect trunk. It can be 5 m high and 12 cm across the trunk. The fronds often remain making a skirt of dead fronds around the trunk. The fronds are smooth and dull green and can be divided 2 or 3 times. The fronds are 3.5 m long. There are woolly golden hairs at the base of the frond stalk.
How to Grow
A plant of moderate elevations in the tropics, though it can also descend almost to sea level. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,250 - 2,500mm. Plants can tolerate full sun if grown on a slope facing away from the direction of the sun, otherwise it grows better in dappled shade. Prefers a slightly acidic, well drained soil with ample moisture. A slow growing plant.
Propagation: Spores - these should be collected from mature fronds of healthy plants. The most mature fronds are generally those lower down on the plant. The spore containers (sori) on these fronds should appear full and plump. The frond branches (pinnae) should be removed from the main frond stem and dried in paper bags, envelopes, or folded newspaper packets. Place each frond piece in its own paper container with the spore side down. To ensure that the spores dry quickly and do not go mouldy, place the containers in a single layer in a warm, dry location for 2 or 3 days. The ripe spores will fall off of the fronds. The spores can be separated from the remaining debris using a very fine screen or sieve. Sanitation is an important part of sowing fern spores to prevent both fungal infections and cross contamination by other fern spores. Any sowing medium needs to be fully sterilized before sowing the spores. The cleaned spores are spread on the surface of the sterilized mix and moistened with a fine spray of distilled water. Mixing the spores with water and spraying them onto the planting mix can provide more even distribution. Place a lid over the mix in order to prevent contamination and to maintain high humidity. Clean, dry spores can be stored in paper envelopes or packets. Place the envelopes in an air tight container and place it in the refrigerator. Side shoots that form on the main trunks can be used to form new plants. Plants from side shoots tend to grow slower than plants grown from spores.
Medicinal Uses
A soft, woolly material found around the base of the fronds contains tannins and is astringent. It was used traditionally for dressing wounds and embalming bodies. The plant is used as an appetizer and blood purifier. The pith of the trunk is used in combination with the roots of Curcuma longa, Rumex giganteus and Cordyline fruticosa. For weak persons, and some chest pains, the pith is combined with the pith of Sadleria cyatheoides, the bark of Aleurites moluccana), the bark of Syzygium malaccense, the bark of Bobea spp, the root bark of Waltheria indica, Solanum americanum, Senna occidentalis, noni fruits (Morinda citrifolia), and white sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum).
Other Uses
A soft, woolly material is found around the base of the fronds. Known as pulu, it was used traditionally for dressing wounds, embalming bodies, and for pillow and mattress stuffing. Young stems were formerly used to make hats. The starch obtained from the trunk has been used as a stiffener for laundry. The outer fibrous part of the trunk has been used to line or form baskets for plants. The fibrous material of the trunk has been used as an orchid and anthurium growing media. An excellent understorey plant for the landscape to help control erosion.
Other Information
It is a famine food.
Notes
There are 10-15 Cibotium species. They occur in the Pacific.
Names & Synonyms
References (7)
- Berlin. Jahrb. Pharm. Verbundenen Wiss. 21:53. 1820
- CURREY,
- HANDY,
- Lamoureux, C.H., 1976, Trailside Plants of Hawaii's National Parks. Hawaii Natural History Association. p 9
- Large, M.F., & Braggins, J.E., 2004, Tree Ferns. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia. p 66
- NEAL,
- Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 36
