Dicranopteris linearis
Dicranopteris linearis
Safety & Hazards
In places where the plant's habitat has been burned over, the stiff, erect stipes project a few inches above the surface, and often cause wounds in the feet of the natives, even when the latter are protected by leather sandals[1]. Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[2]. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[3].
Cultivation Details
Grows best in a soil that is low in nutrients but high in organic matter - pure composted bracken fronds is often recommended[2]. Established plants prefer a position with at least some full sun[2]. A difficult plant to cultivate because it resents root disturbance and also relies upon a mycorrhizal association in the soil[2]. Do not disturb the soil around plants[2].
Propagation
Spores - Difficult to raise but easier to establish than divisions. Divisions are difficult due to the plants resentment of any disturbance. If it is attempted, only large, long established specimens should be used. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dicranopteris+linearis>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [3]Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest. — Schofield. J. J. · Alaska Northwest Books; Alaska · 2003 · ISBN 0882403699 ↩︎A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
- [4]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
- [5]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [6]The Useful Native Plants of Australia. — Maiden J.H. · Turner & Co.; London. · 1889 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [7]Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). — Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. · Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. · 1986 · ISBN - ↩︎Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
- [8]Ethnobotanical Studies of Some Important Ferns — Srivastava K. · Ethnobotanical Leaflets · 2007 · http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ebl ↩︎Some of the uses of ferns in India.
- [9]Minor Products of Philippine Forests — Brown. W. H. · Bureau of Forestry, Manilla. · 1920 ↩︎A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
- [10]Traditional Knowledge of Adi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh on Plants. — Srivastava R.C. · Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. · 2009 Vol. 8(2) ↩︎Basic information on the plants that the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh use.