''Stenochlaena palustris'' ( vi, choại, tl, dilimán or ''hagnaya'') is an edible medicinal fern species. In the

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

s of India and Malaysia, the leaves of this fern are used as remedies for fever, skin diseases, ulcers, and stomachache. This plant is a long-climbing fern with thin black scales and stems that can reach up to 20 m. It has pinnate fronds that are 30–100 cm long, petioles that are 7–20 cm long, and ovate lanceolate pinnae that are 10–15 cm long and 1.5–4.5 cm wide. The fern's sporophylls are long and narrow, and have brownish sori underneath. Acylated flavonol

glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

s isolated from the fern were found to have antibacterial activities. Crude and partially purified extracts prepared from the fern have been shown to exhibit antifungal, antioxidant, and antiglucosidase activities. The district of

Diliman Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

, one of the Philippines' most important educational districts, is named after this fern. The species

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

''palustris'' is Latin for "of the marsh" and indicates its common habitat.

Cuisine

In the Malaysian state of

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

, the plant is called "Midin". It is a popular food among the locals. The young fronds are usually served stir-fried with garlic, dry shrimps, or Shrimp paste. (''Belacan''). In

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

, it is called "Lembiding". People usually cook it with sardines or belacan. In Vietnam, the young fronds are called and can be used in soups, salads and some stir fry dishes, especially with garlic.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10863879 Ferns of Asia Medicinal plants Blechnaceae Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman