Ferns are plants that don't produce seeds; they reproduce with spores. They generally live as an understory plant in shaded, moist areas, although their habitat varies considerably. Their leaves are called fronds, which are highly divided except in a few isolated species. While they don't have any major economic importance, they have a minor economic impact in the floral and landscape industry, and are important in areas where they are used for food.
Landscape and Floral Industry
Ferns are a staple in the landscape and floral industry. Ferns are great landscape plants, and are used for their attractive lacy foliage. In the floral industry, ferns are used for both houseplants and greenery for floral arrangements. Some of the most popular ferns for these purposes are sword ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata), birdsnest fern (Asplenium nidus, one of the rare ferns with solid leaves) and floral fern (Rumohra adiantoides).
Food
Although not a diet staple, ferns provide some sustenance for some groups of people, and the Native Americans were known to gather and eat selected ferns in times of hunger. Erect sword fern (Polystichum munitum) or licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) rhizomes are roasted and steamed. Sword ferns taste somewhat bitter and licorice ferns are saccharin-sweet. The unfurling fronds, called fiddleheads, are eaten more often, but anyone attempting to forage for these should note that mature fronds are toxic. Fiddleheads of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) and vegetable fern (Diplazium esculentum) are the varieties eaten.
Fossil Fuels
Ferns are economically important in an indirect way. Ferns were the dominant plant in the landscape many millions of years ago. When they died, they formed a thick layer of foliage and detritus, along with other trees and foliage. These layers now are deep underground, and have been subjected to heat and pressure for millions of years, eventually becoming coal, which has tremendous economic importance.
Fertilizers
The mosquito fern (Azolla pinnata) is barely recognizable as a fern. It is small and aquatic, floating on ponds and still waters. It has the ability to fix nitrogen and make it available to other plants, and this ability has led to its extensive use with water crops such as rice. Azolla pinnata has a symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing, blue-green algae namely – Anabaena azollae Strasburger. Due to this property, the agronomic potential of Azolla as biofertilizer for rice has been recognized in many countries including India, Philippines, USA, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It has been also found that by applying Azolla the soil fertility is improved by increasing total nitrogen, available organic carbon, phosphorous and potassium. Azolla has also been used as food supplement in fresh or dried or silage form for a variety of animals including pigs, cattle, rabbits, ducks, chicken and fish. Other uses of Azolla include hydrogen production, biogas production, as an ingredient in soap production and to certain extent as human food.
Medicine
Though, lot of studies focusing on the medicinal properties of plants, especially on angiosperms, are available, unfortunately limited amount of studies have been done to explore the medicinal potentialities of the pteridophytes.
The leaf and root decoction of commonly occurring Adiantum lunulatum syn. Adiantum philippense has been found to be very effective in the treatment of chest complaints.
The fresh fronds of Blechnum orientale are used as a poultice for boils in Malaya; the rhizome is used as an anthelmintic in China, eaten during scarcity of food in Malaya, as cure for intestinal worms, bladder complaints in India, Polynesia and as diaphoretic, aromatic in Philippines. The rhizome and roots of Cheilanthes tenuifolia are used by the tribals as general tonic.
In the case of Dicranopteris linearis, the rhizome is used as anthelmintic in Assam while the fronds are used for asthma in Madagascar. The rhizome of Drynaria quercifolia is bitter and is used as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, for treating constipation, diarrhea, ulcers and other inflammations. The decoction of plant is used in typhoid fever and fronds are useful in treating swellings. The young shoots of Lygodium flexuosum, a common climbing fern species, are used as vegetables whereas the rhizome of the plants is boiled with mustard oil and locally applied in rheumatism, sprains, scabies, ulcers, eczema and cuts.
Among the ferns known so far, perhaps the bracken fern (Pteridium revolutum syn. P. aquilinum) has the most varied economic and medicinal uses owing to its wide distribution. The rhizome of the plant is astringent, anthelmintic and is useful in diarrhea and inflammation of gastric and intestinal mucous membranes. The decoction of rhizome and fronds is given in chronic disorders of viscera and spleen. In times of scarcity the rhizomes are boiled or roasted and eaten or ground into powder for making bread. The rhizomes mixed with malt are used for brewing a kind of beer and are also employed as a feed for stock, especially pigs. The tender fronds of the fern are used as vegetables and also employed in soups. The dried fronds are employed as packaging materials and have also been tried as a source of paper pulp. The bracken ferns have also served as dye yielding plants across the world. The colonists in Plymouth made an olive green dye out of bracken tops mordanted with alum and copper whereas the boiled roots of the ferns, which turn black, have been used as chief black pattern material by the Washo, Mono and Yokut Indians.
Besides having various medicinal properties, the pteridophytes are also employed for a variety of commercial and environmental purposes.
Some other uses are -
Ferns provide natural vegetation that's important to both wildlife and birds. Various animals use the fronds as food while birds and small creatures use the plants for cover.
Wildlife and birds use ferns to hide from predators. They also use ferns as cover and a place to rest. Amphibians also use ferns as cover, especially when the plants are located near wetlands, ponds or other waterways.
Some ferns, such as western sword fern, also known as Christmas fern, provide wildlife with an important food source. Black bear, mountain beaver, elk and deer rely on the fronds for food. In Central Oregon, the ferns make up one of the most frequently used foods eaten by Roosevelt elk. People can also eat the fronds in early spring when the plants produce new growth.
Pteridophytes are used in the horticulture. The different species of Selaginella are grown as the garden plants. Ruhmora adiantiformis is called the florist’s fern; since their leaf resists wilting they are used in the cut flower arrangements.
Some of the ferns are used in handicrafts; petioles of certain ferns are used for making basketry and bracelets.
Pteridium leaves are used for making the green dye.
Club mosses are used as a dry industrial lubricant since its microscopic spore contains non-volatile oils. The spores are also used as flash powder in photography and also as finger print powder in forensic investigation.
Landscape and Floral Industry
Ferns are a staple in the landscape and floral industry. Ferns are great landscape plants, and are used for their attractive lacy foliage. In the floral industry, ferns are used for both houseplants and greenery for floral arrangements. Some of the most popular ferns for these purposes are sword ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata), birdsnest fern (Asplenium nidus, one of the rare ferns with solid leaves) and floral fern (Rumohra adiantoides).
Food
Although not a diet staple, ferns provide some sustenance for some groups of people, and the Native Americans were known to gather and eat selected ferns in times of hunger. Erect sword fern (Polystichum munitum) or licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) rhizomes are roasted and steamed. Sword ferns taste somewhat bitter and licorice ferns are saccharin-sweet. The unfurling fronds, called fiddleheads, are eaten more often, but anyone attempting to forage for these should note that mature fronds are toxic. Fiddleheads of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) and vegetable fern (Diplazium esculentum) are the varieties eaten.
Fossil Fuels
Ferns are economically important in an indirect way. Ferns were the dominant plant in the landscape many millions of years ago. When they died, they formed a thick layer of foliage and detritus, along with other trees and foliage. These layers now are deep underground, and have been subjected to heat and pressure for millions of years, eventually becoming coal, which has tremendous economic importance.
Fertilizers
The mosquito fern (Azolla pinnata) is barely recognizable as a fern. It is small and aquatic, floating on ponds and still waters. It has the ability to fix nitrogen and make it available to other plants, and this ability has led to its extensive use with water crops such as rice. Azolla pinnata has a symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing, blue-green algae namely – Anabaena azollae Strasburger. Due to this property, the agronomic potential of Azolla as biofertilizer for rice has been recognized in many countries including India, Philippines, USA, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It has been also found that by applying Azolla the soil fertility is improved by increasing total nitrogen, available organic carbon, phosphorous and potassium. Azolla has also been used as food supplement in fresh or dried or silage form for a variety of animals including pigs, cattle, rabbits, ducks, chicken and fish. Other uses of Azolla include hydrogen production, biogas production, as an ingredient in soap production and to certain extent as human food.
Medicine
Though, lot of studies focusing on the medicinal properties of plants, especially on angiosperms, are available, unfortunately limited amount of studies have been done to explore the medicinal potentialities of the pteridophytes.
The leaf and root decoction of commonly occurring Adiantum lunulatum syn. Adiantum philippense has been found to be very effective in the treatment of chest complaints.
The fresh fronds of Blechnum orientale are used as a poultice for boils in Malaya; the rhizome is used as an anthelmintic in China, eaten during scarcity of food in Malaya, as cure for intestinal worms, bladder complaints in India, Polynesia and as diaphoretic, aromatic in Philippines. The rhizome and roots of Cheilanthes tenuifolia are used by the tribals as general tonic.
In the case of Dicranopteris linearis, the rhizome is used as anthelmintic in Assam while the fronds are used for asthma in Madagascar. The rhizome of Drynaria quercifolia is bitter and is used as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, for treating constipation, diarrhea, ulcers and other inflammations. The decoction of plant is used in typhoid fever and fronds are useful in treating swellings. The young shoots of Lygodium flexuosum, a common climbing fern species, are used as vegetables whereas the rhizome of the plants is boiled with mustard oil and locally applied in rheumatism, sprains, scabies, ulcers, eczema and cuts.
Among the ferns known so far, perhaps the bracken fern (Pteridium revolutum syn. P. aquilinum) has the most varied economic and medicinal uses owing to its wide distribution. The rhizome of the plant is astringent, anthelmintic and is useful in diarrhea and inflammation of gastric and intestinal mucous membranes. The decoction of rhizome and fronds is given in chronic disorders of viscera and spleen. In times of scarcity the rhizomes are boiled or roasted and eaten or ground into powder for making bread. The rhizomes mixed with malt are used for brewing a kind of beer and are also employed as a feed for stock, especially pigs. The tender fronds of the fern are used as vegetables and also employed in soups. The dried fronds are employed as packaging materials and have also been tried as a source of paper pulp. The bracken ferns have also served as dye yielding plants across the world. The colonists in Plymouth made an olive green dye out of bracken tops mordanted with alum and copper whereas the boiled roots of the ferns, which turn black, have been used as chief black pattern material by the Washo, Mono and Yokut Indians.
Besides having various medicinal properties, the pteridophytes are also employed for a variety of commercial and environmental purposes.
Some other uses are -
Ferns provide natural vegetation that's important to both wildlife and birds. Various animals use the fronds as food while birds and small creatures use the plants for cover.
Wildlife and birds use ferns to hide from predators. They also use ferns as cover and a place to rest. Amphibians also use ferns as cover, especially when the plants are located near wetlands, ponds or other waterways.
Some ferns, such as western sword fern, also known as Christmas fern, provide wildlife with an important food source. Black bear, mountain beaver, elk and deer rely on the fronds for food. In Central Oregon, the ferns make up one of the most frequently used foods eaten by Roosevelt elk. People can also eat the fronds in early spring when the plants produce new growth.
Pteridophytes are used in the horticulture. The different species of Selaginella are grown as the garden plants. Ruhmora adiantiformis is called the florist’s fern; since their leaf resists wilting they are used in the cut flower arrangements.
Some of the ferns are used in handicrafts; petioles of certain ferns are used for making basketry and bracelets.
Pteridium leaves are used for making the green dye.
Club mosses are used as a dry industrial lubricant since its microscopic spore contains non-volatile oils. The spores are also used as flash powder in photography and also as finger print powder in forensic investigation.