Eagle Fern

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Eagle fern / Pteridium aquilinum / is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Polypodiaceae-Polypods. In Russia, the eagle fern is known as the common eagle, in Germany as Adlerfarn, and in France as fougere aigle.

The rhizome of the herb is woody, black-brown, almost black, branched, creeping, up to 1 m long, up to 10 mm thick. In cross section, it resembles the outline of an eagle, whence the Latin name of the herb. The leaves of the eagle fern develop singly. They are large, preserved in winter, with up to 1.5 m long stalks, double-triple-divided, leathery, naked, with wide triangular-ovate lobes, with a peculiar unpleasant odor. The spores are linear, located below along the curled leaf edge. Eagle fern reproduces mainly vegetatively, and less frequently by spores. Spore-bearing in June and August. Its spores are warty, brown.

The eagle fern is a plant common in many countries. The herb is most common in Russia. In Bulgaria, the plant grows in meadows and pastures, especially in the belt of beech forests in the lowlands from sea level to the upper limit of the fields in mountainous and foothill areas, in some places en masse.

Composition of eagle fern

The rhizomes of eagle fern have in their composition a significant amount of starch (up to 46%), up to 34% cellulose, up to 6% pentosan, up to 10% sugars, up to 10% ash, of which significant amounts of potassium (up to 4%), up to 0.4% sodium, up to 1.7% silicon, up to 0.9% calcium and up to 1% phosphorus. In addition, the herb contains the content of alkaloids, essential oil (up to 0.18%), up to 1.2% fatty oil, mucous substances, saponins, pteraquiline (bitter glucoside substance). The leaves contain up to 30% cellulose, up to 5% pentosans, up to 10% sugars, up to 22% protein, up to 36% lignin, up to 2.5% extractives, up to 8% ash, of which up to 3.9% potassium, up to 0.3% sodium, up to 2, 14% silicon, up to 1.06% calcium and up to 1.24% phosphorus. The content of pteramigdalin was found in the fresh leaves of the honeysuckle. Prunazine is also isolated from the drug.

Growing eagle fern

The eagle fern easily adapts to the dry air of homes, although it prefers high humidity. The plant grows successfully even in the darker parts of the home, but can easily grow in the light, as long as it is not exposed to direct sunlight. In the winter months, the eagle fern can withstand temperatures up to 10-13 degrees, and in summer, if the temperature exceeds 20 degrees, the plant needs additional humidification. The most important thing to be very careful about is not to dry out the root system during any of the seasons. Irrigate the plant with stagnant water, if it is calcareous, slightly acidify it. In summer, water the eagle fern every day, and in winter dilute the watering to 2-3 times a week.

The eagle fern propagated by sowing spores and by dividing the mother plant. It often happens that this species self-sows, and newly emerged young plants grow if they are transplanted into separate pots and watered properly without their soil drying out.

Otherwise, the leaf mixed with peat is the most favorable soil for the eagle fern. The plants are transplanted every spring. Dried, damaged and browned leaves are cut as low as possible. In case the whole plant dries, you need to cut it to the root, then soak it with the pot for a day in a bucket of water. If you are consistent in watering it, you will soon notice how new leaves appear.

Collection and storage of eagle fern

The rhizomes / Rhizoma Aquilinae / and the leaves / Folia Aquilinae / of the eagle fern are mainly used for medical purposes. The rhizomes are dug up during the spring months, cleaned of soil, the roots of rotten old sections and leaf stalks.

Drying is carried out in an oven, as soon as possible after digging, spreading in a thin layer. Better quality is obtained if it is first dried at a temperature of up to 30 degrees, and then it gradually rises to 40-50 degrees. It would be even better if the herb is placed in a strong air stream in advance to lose some of its moisture and then to dry.

From about four kilograms of fresh rhizomes one kilogram of dry is obtained. The fresh herb is stored in wicker baskets and the dried herb is packed in standard weight bags. At all times, be careful not to mix the drug with non-poisonous plants.

Benefits of eagle fern

The rhizomes of eagle fern are used in Bulgarian and Russian folk medicine as an anthelmintic (the action is weaker than that of the male fern), as well as in the form of infusion externally for wounding and against skin rashes (mundarluk). Young, freshly plucked leaves are used as food in some poorer areas of Japan, New Zealand and the Canary Islands.

Due to the ability of the roots to foam like soap, in some countries (eg France) they are used for washing and laundry.

Due to the high percentage of starch, the rhizomes can be given as food to pigs, and glue is also prepared from them.

The leaves of eagle fern are often used to repel insects when storing fruits and vegetables, as they have an unpleasant odor. They can also be used as bedding in the stables.

Due to the significant amount of potassium salts in the ash of fern, it is used in the glass industry to produce potash.

Eagle fern is a suitable ornamental plant for shady places due to its large beautiful leaves.

Folk medicine with eagle fern

Russian folk medicine offers a decoction of eagle fern as an anthelmintic. Prepare the drink by pouring a tablespoon of chopped and dried honeysuckle roots with 300 ml of hot water. Allow the herb to boil for 20 minutes, then strain the decoction. Divide the liquid into three parts and drink it throughout the day. Open wounds can be washed with this decoction.

Harm from eagle fern

Pteridium aquilinum is a harmful weed for meadows and pastures, oats, potatoes and others. When fresh, the plant is poisonous to livestock.

Poisoning occurs if a cattle or pig ingests between 2 and 4 kg of honeysuckle within 24 hours.