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Alsophila spinulosa (Wall. ex Hook.) Tryon
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English Name |
Spiny Tree-fern, |
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Latin name |
Alsophila spinulosa (Wall. ex Hook.) Tryon |
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Family & Genus |
Cyatheaceae, Alsophila |
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Description |
Large treelike ferns. Stem dark brown or light black, covering skin hard, up to 6m or longer, diameter 10-20cm, upper part with remnant petioles, downwards densely interleaving adventitious roots, leaves spiral-shaped or tree crown-shaped arranged on top of stem; stem end, circinate leaves and petioles base densely covered with scales and scurfy scaly hairs, narrowly lanceolate, dark brown, shiny, apex brown seta-shape, both sides with narrow and pale serrate thin margin; petioles 30-50cm long, usually brown or upper relatively pale, with prickle-like protrusions the same as rachis and pinna rachis, each sides of back with 1 discontinuous, upward to lenticels lines of rachis; leaves alternate, papery, green when dry, long-oblong, 1-2 long, 40-50cm wide, tripinnately parted, pinnates with stalk, 17-20 pairs, base 1 pair, ca. 30cm long, middle pinnates 40-50cm long, 14-18cm wide, long-oblong, bipinnately parted; small pinnas 18-20 pairs, small pinnas at base relatively small, middle 9-12cm long, 1.2-1.6cm wide, lanceolate, apex acuminate and with long tail, base wide cuneate, sessile or with short stalk, pinnately parted, lobes 18-20 pairs, skew extended, lobes at base relatively short, middle ca. 7mm long, ca. 4mm wide, sickle-shaped lanceolate, head mucronulate, with serrations, leaf veins pinnate on lobes, middle vein extends to smaller veins outside of base underside, bifurcated; pinna rachis, small pinna rachis and middle vein above with coarse bristles, below with grey small scales. Sori borne at bifurcation position of lateral veins, near middle vein, with isolated wire, receptacle protuberant, indusium spherical, thinly membranous, outside dehiscence, easily broken, retrorsed to cover on middle vein when reaches maturation. |
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Distribution |
Growing in mountain streams or thin forests. Distributed in Taiwan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Hainan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and etc. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: stem. Chinese name: Longgufeng. |
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Harvest & Processing |
Collected throughout the year, removed the stiff bark, and sun-dried. |
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Chemistry |
Contains hegoflavone A and B, cyclolaudenol, cycloartenol and sterols. |
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Properties & Actions |
Taste little bitter, neutral in nature.Dispelling pathogenic wind and removing dampness, promoting blood circulation and freeing meridians, suppressing cough and asthma, clearing heat-toxin and killing parasites. |
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Indications & Usage |
Used for rheumatic arthralgia, lumbago due to deficiency of the kidney, injuries from falls, small intestine-qi pain, anemogenous toothache, cough, asthma, sarcoptidosis, ascariasis, enterobiasis and prevention of influenza.Oral administration: decocting, 15-30g; or stew with meat. External application: appropriate amount, decocted for washing, or get fresh juice for application. |
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Examples |
1. Lumbago due to deficiency of the kidney: cyathea spinulosa wall. 15g, euconmmia vine 9g, teasel 9g, red achyranthis radix 6g, hispid fig root 9g, sagittate barrenwort 9g, radix morindae officinalis 9g. Decoct and wash the outside.
2. Osteodynia, abdominal pain, acute toothache: cyathea spinulosa wall. 15g. Decoct in water and swallow with alcohol.
3. Asthma and cough: cyathea spinulosa wall. 15g, orange peel 9g, an appropriate amount of pork. Decoct and swallow. |
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