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Dryopteris carthusiana

Common name:	Narrow Buckler Fern	Family:	Dryopteridaceae
Author:	(Vill.)H.P.Fuchs.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:	Dryopteris spinulosum (Watt.), Aspidium spinulosum (Sw.)
Known Hazards:	Although we have found no reports for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[200]. The fresh plant contains 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[172]. However, there have been reports for other species of ferns suggesting that even cooked fronds can have a long term harmful effect. Some caution is therefore advised.
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain and Siberia. N. America..
Habitat:	Damp and wet woods, marshes and wet heaths[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	4

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	D. austriaca var. spinulosa[B,P] D. spinulosa[B,,E,G,H,P] Polypodium carthusianum[G] Polypodium spinulosum[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Dikenli Egrelti [E], Doornige Niervaren [E], Dornfarn [E], Narrow Buckler-fern [L], Pricklytoothed Shield Fer [H], Shield Fern [E], Shield Fern, Pricklytooth [H], Smalle Stekelvaren [D], Spinulose Shield Fern [L], Spinulose Wood Fern [B], Spinulose Woodfern [P],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Polypodiales. Wood Fern family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Germany; Netherlands; Turkey; Us

Physical Characteristics

Fern growing to 1m by 0.5m . It is hardy to zone 5. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 4/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist or wet soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Leaves; Root.

Root - baked[61]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.
Old leafstalks on the underground stems can be roasted, peeled and the inner portion eaten[257].
Young curled fronds, harvested as they are developing in the spring, can be boiled and eaten like asparagus[257].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Vermifuge.

The root contains 'filicin', a substance that paralyses tapeworms and other internal parasites and has been used as a worm expellent[4, 222, 238]. It is one of the most effective treatments known for tapeworms - its use should be immediately followed by a non-oily purgative such as magnesium sulphate in order to expel the worms from the body[238]. An oily purge, such as caster oil, increases the absorption of the fern root and can be dangerous[238]. The root is harvested in the autumn and can be dried for later use, it should not be stored for longer than 12 months[238]. This remedy should be used with caution and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[238]. The root is toxic and the dosage is critical[238]. See also the notes above on toxicity.

Other Uses

Ground cover.

When spaced about 30cm apart each way, the plants can be grown as a ground cover[208].

Cultivation details

Prefers an acid to neutral soil, succeeding in ordinary fertile soil in a shady position[175, 200]. Requires permanently moist conditions at its roots.
A very ornamental plant[1], it is often evergreen in mild winters[188]. Plants spread slowly at the rootstock[233].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Spores - can be sown at any time of the year in a greenhouse. Surface sow on a sterilised compost and keep moist, possibly by placing the pot in a plastic bag. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20°c. Pot up small clumps of the plants when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shady part of the greenhouse until large enough to plant out.
Division in spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[L] Scientific and Common Names (some photos) from Lepidoptera and some other life forms
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Aspidium spinulosum (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for Dryopteris spinulosa (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 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.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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