Botrychium virginianum
| Botrychium virginianum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Botrychium virginianum (common name: rattlesnake fern)
Propagation: Spores - best surface sown as soon as they are ripe in a greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out. Placing the pot in a plastic bag helps to maintain a humid atmosphere which promotes germination and growth. Prick out small clumps into pots when they are large enough to handle and keep moist until established. Grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter and plant out in late spring.
Division. It is best not to try and disturb this plant[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a sandy loam with just a small portion of peat[2]. Requires sharp drainage[2]. Best grown in an open position[2]. Plants can be difficult to establish. The prothalli (young plants formed when the spores germinate) of this plant form a symbiotic relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus, similar to the association of orchid seedlings with an invading fungus[1].
Unlike most species of ferns, the fronds of this species grow up straight and not curled inward, crozier fashion[3].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[4].
Range: N. Europe, E. Asia. N. America and S. America.
Habitat: Rich moist or dry woods[5]. Common to abundant, especially in shaded forests and shrubby second growth, rare or absent in arid regions from sea level to 1500 metres[6].
Edibility: This large succulent fern is boiled and eaten in the Himalayas[7]. The report does not say which part of the plant is used, though it is probably the root[K].
Medicinal: A poultice or lotion made from the roots is applied to snakebites, bruises, cuts and sores[5][8].
A tea made from the roots is emetic, induces sweating and is expectorant[5]. It is used in the treatment of lung ailments[5][8].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Known Hazards: Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[1].
Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this e
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Flora of North America.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.