Asplenium nidus
Common Name: Bird’s Nest Fern
Growth Requirements (including habitat): It requires semi-shaded conditions to full sun, and soil that is moist.
Habit (Herb/Shrub/Treelet/Tree): It is an epiphytic fern, which has a stout and erect rhizome, bearing a rosette of leaves at the top. Its roots are large with many persistent brown root hairs. Leaf stalks are stout, almost black and can be as long as 5 cm. Leaf length can be up to 150 cm or more and up to 20 cm wide. It narrows gradually, tapering both towards the pointed tip and towards the base.
Picture from: http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/198500858.html
The sori are narrow, and occur on every vein of the top half of the frond. Spores are light brown, transparent when fresh and opaque when old.
Uses: It is grown as an ornamental plant, either indoors or in parks and gardens. It has edible plant parts, and serves medicinal purposes. In Malaysia, the infusion of the leaves has been used to ease labor pains and the lotion obtain from the leaves has been used to treat fever. In Hawai`i, the juice of `ekaha leaf shoots was mixed with other plants to treat general weakness and mouth sores in children.
Interesting Information: Genus Asplenium means without spleen and is usually a reference for the fern to cure spleen ailments. Species nidus gives reference to the common name “Bird’s Nest Fern” as it means “Nest-of-fledglings”.
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