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Common Name:

General Information

Matteuccia orientalis is a Fern up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[].
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[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Fern
Height	0.60 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a moist but well-drained position and light shade[, ]. It grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a pH between 5 and 6.5[].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[].
Plants have an invasive root system and can send up suckers some distance from the main clump[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].
Fertile fronds are produced after the first flush of vegetative fronds and persist throughout the following winter. The spores are shed in mid-winter[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Spores - surface sow as soon as they are ripe in mid-winter and keep the soil moist. It is best to keep the pot in a sealed plastic bag to hold in the moisture. Pot up small clumps of the young plants as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade until large enough to plant out.
Division during the dormant season between early autumn and early 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.