vegetable fern

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• vegetable fern

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Diplazium esculentum var. pubescens
• Anisogonium serampurense
• Asplenium ambiguum
• Asplenium esculentum
• Asplenium malabaricum
• Asplenium manilense
• Asplenium moritzii
• Asplenium puberulum
• Asplenium vitiense
• Athyrium ambiguum
• Athyrium esculentum
• Callipteris esculenta
• Callipteris malabarica
• Callipteris serampurensis
• Diplazium malabaricum
• Diplazium serampurense
• Diplazium vitiense
• Gymnogramma edulis
• Hemionitis esculenta
• Hemionitis incisa
• Microstegia ambigua
• Microstegia esculenta
• Callipteris esculenta var. pubescens
• Diplazium pubescens
• Microstegia pubescens
• Anisogonium esculentum
• Digrammaria esculenta
• Diplazium manilense
• Callipteris ambigua

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Polypodiinae and the order Polypodiales, it is classified under the family Aspleniaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Diplazium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning several distinct regions across the globe. In the Atlantic, its presence is noted within the Macaronesian archipelago, specifically in the Azores. Its range extends to Southern Africa, where it can be found in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Within China, the species is widely distributed across the South-Central and Southeast regions. Additionally, the plant is documented as growing on the tropical island of Hainan.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Diplazium esculentum is characterized by its preference for specific altitudinal gradients and moist environments. It typically thrives within an elevational range spanning from a minimum of 300 m AMSL to a maximum of 500 m AMSL. Within this niche, the plant is commonly found in shaded, humid habitats such as riverbanks, damp forest floors, and marshy areas where soil moisture is consistently high. Its distribution is closely tied to these moisture-rich microclimates, which support its growth patterns and reproductive success within its established vertical limits.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

300 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Diplazium esculentum is characterized by its existence as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a cryptophyte, it employs specialized survival strategies where its regenerative organs are protected at or below the soil surface, specifically functioning as a geophyte to endure varying environmental conditions. Throughout its life cycle, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, retaining its foliage consistently rather than undergoing seasonal shedding.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Diplazium esculentum is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber, liana, or vine, nor does it exhibit parasitic behavior, growing instead as an independent organism. In terms of its habitat and ecological positioning, it is a terrestrial species rather than an aquatic or epiphytic one. The plant exhibits a variable stature, with a minimum height of 1 m, a mean height of 0.5 m, and a maximum height reaching up to 2 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height mean:

0.5 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Diplazium esculentum is characterized by its specific metabolic and nutritional processes, most notably its utilization of the C3 photosynthetic pathway, which involves the direct fixation of carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle without the specialized adaptations found in C4 or CAM plants. In terms of its nutrient acquisition, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form, relying instead on the uptake of nitrogenous compounds from the soil.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Diplazium esculentum has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CHLOROFORM, ETHYL ACETATE, ethanol.

CHLOROFORM

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

ETHYL ACETATE

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

ethanol

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Conditions

Diplazium esculentum has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include chikungunya virus, diabetes mellitus, infertility.

Chikungunya virus

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Diabetes mellitus

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Infertility

1. Drug and chemical toxicology

Preparations

Diplazium esculentum has 4 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include boiled D. esculentum, chloroform, ethanol, ethyl acetate.

Boiled d. esculentum

1. Drug and chemical toxicology

Chloroform

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Ethanol

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Ethyl acetate

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)