Scientific name: Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw.
Family: Woodsiaceae
Synonym: Hemionitis esculentum Retz.
Bengali/Vernacular
name:
Dheki shak (Bengali), Dheiyee shak (Noakhali).
Tribal name: Mrang khowa (Chakma); Cluli (Tripura); Genggadak bang,
Gaing dok (Marma).
English name: Edible fern, Vegetable fern.
Description of the plant: A terrestrial fern with a creeping rhizome widely branched, densely scaly. Stipe erect, tufted 10-45 cm long, pale, slightly scaly, 4-angled grooved. Fronds in a crown up to 65-150 cm long. Lamina 40-95 cm long, simply pinnate, pinnae 13-22 cm long, alternate, pinnules 3-6 cm long, alternate, subsessile, apex obtuse-acuminate, the edge more or less deeply lobed. Sori are superficial and elongate, arranged in pairs on the side of the veins or veinlets.
Plant parts used: Frond.
Medicinal uses: Juice extracted from frond of the plant is taken twice a day (50 ml amount each time) for seven days to treat anorexia.
Frond juice is taken once a day (20 ml amount) for one month to treat constipation.
Processed frond is taken for cure malnutrition.
Distribution: This species occurs commonly in the greater districts of Sylhet, Noakhali, Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….
