Microsorum punctatum is a fern from the subfamily Microsoroideae commonly called the fish-tail fern, climbing bird's nest fern, dwarf elkhorn fern, or wart fern.[1] It has been used in traditional medicine.
| Microsorum punctatum | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Suborder: | Polypodiineae |
| Family: | Polypodiaceae |
| Genus: | Microsorum |
| Species: | M. punctatum
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| Binomial name | |
| Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel.
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Description
editLike other members of subfamily Microsoroideae, this species is a facultative epiphyte; it often grows epiphytically, but can also grow atop the soil surface (terrestrially) in moist, well-drained areas.
The rhizome is small, short, 50 mm in diameter, covered with dark brown scales; elongated scales, similar to triangles, 8 mm long. Single leaf lanceolate shape, green, 550 mm long, 50 mm wide, indistinct petiole, clear leaf bone, 3 mm diameter, pointed tip, winged base of leaf, branched leaf repetition.
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Leaves of Microsorum punctatum 'Grandiceps'
_Microsorum_punctatum_at_Citradream_Hotel_Cirebon_2019_2.jpg)
Distribution
editM. punctatum is found in Africa and Asia.[2] It is native to Andaman Islands, Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caroline Islands, Central African Republic, north-central China, south-central China, southeast China, Christmas Island, Comoros, Eastern Himalayas, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea islands, Hainan, India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Marquesas, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New South Wales, Nicobar Islands, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Philippines, Queensland, Rwanda, Réunion, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Society Islands, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zambia, Zaïre, and Zimbabwe; it has been introduced in Colombia.[3]
Uses
editJuice extracted from the fronds (leaves) of the fern is used as purgative, diuretic, and wound healing agents in traditional medicine in Assam.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Microsorum punctatum(MSOPU)". EPPO Global Database. Secretariat of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel.". GBIF: Flobal Biodiversity Information Facility. GBIF Secretariat. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel.". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Sharma UK, Pegu S. Ethnobotany of religious and supernatural beliefs of the Mising tribes of Assam with special reference to the 'Dobur Uie'. J Ethnobiol Ethnomedicine 2011; 7(1): 16.
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