Cyclosorus interruptus
(Willd.) H. Ito
Hottentot fern, Willdenow's fern
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(c) Carrie Tribble, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Heart, Fronds, Leaves, Roots
The young growing point, young fronds, and roasted roots are eaten.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in swamps. It can grow in wet clay soil and sunny locations. It can grow in drier areas with shade. It can stand frost. In Papua New Guinea it grows from sea level to 1,500 m altitude but mostly it is at low altitudes below 50 m. Geelong Botanical Gardens.
Africa, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Central America, Chad, China, Congo DR, East Africa, East Timor, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Indochina, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, SE Asia, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A medium sized fern. It grows 0.5-1.6 m high. It forms extensive spreading patches. The rootstock is creeping and has many branches. The fronds are erect, leathery and dark green. They can be 1 m long. The segments of the fronds are lobed and sword shaped. They are largest at the base of the frond. The largest leaflets are 8-15 cm long by 1-1.8 cm wide. They are leathery. There are hairs on the veins underneath the leaf. The stalk has papery scales on it. The fruit spot of spores are under the leaf in a zigzag line along the edge of the leaf.
How to Grow
It can be grown from division of the rhizome or from spores.
Medicinal Uses
C. interruptus is used in herbal medicine for sores, liver diseases, gonorrhea, cough, and malaria.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Cyclosorus interruptus, the Hottentot fern or swamp shield-fern, is a fern in the family Thelypteridaceae. It is native to the tropics and subtropics in many parts of the world. In the New World, it is found from Mexico to Argentina, and in the Antilles. In the Old World, it is found in India, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and South Africa. It is also found in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific Ocean. The various populations differ with respect to genetic cytotypes, glands, pubescence, and frond size. Its habitat is the vicinity of freshwater swamps and it may reach 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in height.
Notes
There are now only 2 recognised Cyclosorus species. Others are now in other genera.
Names & Synonyms
Kulhlhahavaali, Vao tuaniu
References (18)
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- Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
- Topp, J. M. W., 1988, An Annotated Check List of the Flora of Diego Garcia, British Ocean Territory. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 313
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (As Thelypteris interrupta)
- www.eFloras.org Flora of China
