First, the botanical characteristics of fern
1. Name and classification status
Fern is a formal Chinese name, which is determined in the Flora of China; the alias is recorded in the Flora of Qinling as Fern; in the Catalogue of Higher Plants of China, it is recorded as goose velvet; the alias is also ginseng fruit, longevity grass, lotus vegetable, etc.; in plant taxonomy, it belongs to the perennial herb of the genus Rosaceae.
2, distribution and growth environment
Fern is mainly distributed in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet and other provinces and regions; usually grows in hillside meadows, meadows, river banks, roadsides.
3, appearance characteristics
It is a perennial herb with a stubby rhizome with residual old petioles;
The stem is slender, creeping growth, purple-red, 15-80 cm long, taking root at the node, and growing new plants after landing on the ground; the leaves are untidy pinnate compound leaves, small pinnacles that are hybridly divided or not divided between leaflet pairs; basal leaves are clustered, with short stalks, with 13-19 leaflets, with petioles 10-20 cm long; leaflets are sessile, oblong or oblong inverted ovate, the leaf edges have missing sharp serrations, the surface is dark green, there are sparse soft hairs, and the back has silky white fluff,
The petiole and shaft have white soft hairs; the stem leaves have short stalks, and the number of small leaves is relatively small;
The flowers are solitary leaf axils, 1-2 cm in diameter, the peduncle is thin, up to 10 cm long; the flowers have secondary sepals, sepals, sepals full margin ovate, yellow petals, inverted ovate, full margin, 20 stamens, flowering in May-July;
The lean fruit is oval.
Second, the main use of fern
First, in the alpine regions of Gansu, Qinghai and Tibet, the roots of fern are particularly thick and rich in starch, which is called "fern" in the market for consumption and is a good ingredient for sweet food.
There are many ways to eat it, and it can be made into fern rice,
Fern nutritious porridge,
Fern porridge, fern coix soup, etc., its rich nutrition, delicious taste, is a unique food, known as "ginseng fruit". Note that ferns grow in warm, low-level areas, with stunted roots, fiber, poor quality, and inedible.
Second, the root of the fern has medicinal value and is an astringent.
Third, its young stems and leaves are fried and soaked for vegetables; the stems and leaves can extract yellow dye; fern is also a honey source plant and a good feed plant.
The above is for personal reference only.
(Image quoted from the Internet)