This cousin of the other Maidenhair ferns grows in very remote places and at high elevations, mostly in Asia. It does not have much documentation in herbal medicine, but is known to be astringent, diuretic, emetic, expectorant emenagogue. It has traditionally been used externally for headaches and scorpion stings and to treat wounds.
The root of this fern is antiseptic and used topically for wounds and for skin infections.
I have not found any medicinal uses for this fern, but it is one that has been traditionally eaten as a wild food. No toxicity has been reported, and it is considered to be a delicacy.
Asplenium rhizophyllum, Walking Fern
Little information has been documented about the medicinal use of the this fern, But, Plants of The Cherokee tells us that it was used as an ingredient in two medicinal formulas:
For when their breast swells. An infusion of four plants is used four times before noon, for four days, to cause vomiting: horse-balm (Collinsonia canadensis), Walking Fern, Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) and Sharp Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba). The whole plant is used in every case except the first plant, in which the leaf or root tea is used.
Walking Fern was also used in the formula for “Dreaming of Snakes”. Apparently, such dreams were believed to cause both mental and physical illness when the person dreamed he was bitten by a poisonous snake. The formula consisted of a decoction of Rattlesnake Fern, or Virginia Snakeroot and the bark of the Tulip Poplar. This would be applied both externally, in the place where the person dreamed he was bitten, and taken internally as a tea. An incantation was recited and the area was breathed upon by a native healer. The tea would cause the patient to vomit.
Photo credits:
Adiantum venestum By Kembangraps - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3473138
Arthromeris wallichiana DSC_0161.JPG (3008×2000) (googlegroups.com)
Asplenium bulbiferum By Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64996880
Asplenium rhizophyllum, Walking Fern By Choess - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22853796
This article is an excerpt from
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Disclaimer
The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.
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