Fern shoots, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. These are the tender leaves of Pteridium revolutum (BI.) Nakai, a plant belonging to the genus Pteridium in the family Polypodiaceae. They have the effects of clearing heat, draining dampness, stopping bleeding, regulating qi, and resolving phlegm. They are used to treat common cold with fever, jaundice, dysentery, leukorrhea, dysphagia, hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, rectal bleeding, and rheumatic arthralgia.
Fern Shoots
Fern shoots, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. These are the tender leaves of Pteridium revolutum (BI.) Nakai, a plant belonging to the genus Pteridium in the family Polypodiaceae. They have the effects of clearing heat, draining dampness, stopping bleeding, regulating qi, and resolving phlegm. They are used to treat common cold with fever, jaundice, dysentery, leukorrhea, dysphagia, hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, rectal bleeding, and rheumatic arthralgia.
Chinese Name : 蕨菜
Aliases : Fern, Saw Fern, Rice Fern
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, cold in nature; enters the Lung, Liver, Spleen, and Large Intestine meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
It has the effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, stopping bleeding, and descending qi to transform phlegm.
Indications
It is primarily used to treat common cold with fever, jaundice, dysentery, leukorrhea, dysphagia, hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, rectal bleeding, and rheumatic arthralgia.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decoct 9–15 g; or steep in wine. External use: Apply an appropriate amount, pounded into a paste; or sprinkle as a powder.
Precautions
Avoid excessive or prolonged use.
Chemical Constituents
Ferns primarily contain maleic acid, succinic acid, astragaloside, isoquercetin, and tiliroside;(2R)-pterin B, (2S,3S)-pterin C, trans-pteric acid, cycadic acid, quercetin, rutin, isorhamnetin-3-O-(6"-O-E-p-coumaroyl)-β-D-glucoside,astragaloside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, lindenoside, protocatechuic acid, shikimic acid, benzoic acid, carotene, β-sitosterol; hemipholin, glycerol, L-phenylalanine, sucrose. Bracken also contains polysaccharides.
Pharmacological Actions
Ferns possess antitumor, antioxidant, and liver-protective properties, and help regulate the balance of the human gut microbiome.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*: Nourishes deficiencies in the five viscera; dispels stagnant qi in the meridians, tendons, and bones; and eliminates toxic qi.
2. *Supplement to the Materia Medica*: Relieves sudden fever and promotes urination.
3. *Revised Materia Medica*: Lubricates the intestines and resolves phlegm.
4. *The Origin of Materia Medica*: Descends qi.
5. *Nanjing Folk Medicinal Herbs*: Treats food stagnation and qi stagnation.
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For postpartum dysentery: Take fresh fern shoots (any amount) and shade-dry them until they become a fine powder. Take three qian bi daily on an empty stomach, mixed with water made from aged rice. (*Shengji Zonglu*: Spring Fern Powder)
2. For abdominal distension: Lightly boil fresh fern shoots and consume for three days to expel pathogenic substances; continue a light diet for one month afterward. (*Weisheng Yijian Fang*)
3. For rectal prolapse: Decoct 3–6 g of the whole fern plant. Take in 2–3 divided doses daily. (*Food, Chinese Herbs, and Simple Formulas*)
4. For hypertension, dizziness, and insomnia: 15 g of fern shoots. Decoct in water and drink. (*Ningxia Handbook of Chinese Herbal Medicine*)
5. For pulmonary tuberculosis with hemoptysis: 30 g of fern. Add boiling water, pound to extract the juice, and drink. (*Hunan Materia Medica*)
6. For chronic rheumatoid arthritis, joint heat and pain, and yellow urine: 15 g of fern. Decoct in water and drink. (*Ningxia Handbook of Chinese Herbal Medicine*)
Medicinal Diet Therapy
A medicinal dish made with fern shoots is Stir-Fried Fern Shoots with Chicken.
1. Benefits: Tonifies qi and calms the mind; strengthens the spleen and stimulates appetite; promotes fluid production and moistens the throat; nourishes the body.
2. Ingredients: 300 grams of fern shoots, 200 grams of chicken breast, 40 grams of peanut oil, soy sauce to taste, and a small amount of minced ginger and garlic.
3. Preparation: Soak the pickled fern shoots in clean water for 20 minutes to remove excess salt and drain well. Cut into 2-centimeter-long pieces and set aside. Slice the chicken breast into very thin strips, place in a bowl, and marinate with soy sauce. Heat a cast-iron skillet over the stove, add 30 grams of peanuts, and roast until fragrant. Quickly stir-fry the chicken breast in the hot oil, then set aside temporarily.Return the wok to the heat, add 10 grams of peanut oil, and heat until hot. Stir-fry the bracken briefly, then add the previously stir-fried chicken breast. Mix in minced ginger and garlic until well combined, then transfer to a serving plate.
4. Usage: Serve as a side dish.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and prescribe an herbal formula.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
In spring, ferns are best harvested when they have emerged more than 20 cm from the ground and their feathery leaflets have not yet unfurled, still forming a fist-like shape.
Processing Methods
Wash thoroughly and sun-dry.
Storage Methods
Store in a cool, dry place.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product is over 20 cm long, curved, and brownish-black; the pinnate leaflets are clenched into a fist-like shape and are yellowish-white.
Properties of Processed Slices
See “Characteristics of Medicinal Materials.”
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Pteridium aquilinum, a plant of the genus Pteridium in the family Polypodiaceae.
Morphological Characteristics
A terrestrial fern; the plant grows to a height of over 1 m. The rhizome is long, creeping, robust, and covered with rust-colored, curly, nodular hairs. Leaves are distichous; petioles are 24–40 cm long, straw-colored, with a dark brown base, and covered with rust-colored, curly, nodular hairs at the base, on the rachis, and on the pinnae;The leaf blade is thin and leathery, broadly triangular or ovate-triangular, 30–80 cm long and 30–50 cm wide, and three-times pinnately lobed; there are 4–6 pairs of pinnae, which are petiolate and narrowly ovate, with the first pair being the largest, measuring 20–35 cm long and 12–20 cm wide; there are 12–16 pairs of secondary pinnae,virtually sessile, linear-lanceolate, with a long, acuminate apex; the lower ones are larger, 8–12 cm long and 2–3 cm wide; the terminal pinnae number 8–18 pairs, alternate, linear-lanceolate or narrowly triangular, slightly curved into a sickle shape, with the abaxial surface densely covered with yellow, curled, nodular hairs;Veins are pinnate, with lateral veins branching. Sporangia are arranged in confluent clusters along the margins of the pinnae, attached to the marginal veins; the indusium is linear, consisting of two layers: an outer layer formed by the margin of the leaf that has been modified and folded back, which is membranous with serrated margins, and an inner layer that is very thin and membranous with lacerated margins.
Distribution Area
Distributed in Southwest China, as well as Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Tibet, Shaanxi, and Taiwan.
Growth Habits
It thrives in neutral or slightly acidic soils that are rich in organic matter, have deep soil layers, good drainage, and high vegetation cover.