top of page
Osmunda japonica
Thunb.
Asian Royal Fern
Osmundaceae
Osmunda japonica is a species of fern in the family Osmundaceae. It is widely distributed in eastern to southern Asia, and in East Asia its fronds are often cooked as a vegetable.
Description
Osmunda japonica spreads by rhizomes, and has both fertile and sterile fronds. The sterile fronds grow near the base of the plants. Leaves are about 30 to 50 cm long and 25 to 40 cm wide. They are bipinnate, with pale or green leafstalks that are sometimes hairy when young. Subleaflets are oblong-lanceolate, 5 to 10 cm long and 1 to 2.5 cm wide, attached to the stalks directly without stems. The subleaflets have slightly uneven bases (they may also be truncate); the edges are slightly toothed, and the tips are bluntly pointed. The fertile fronds at the ends of spikes that grow above the plant. Fertile fronds are also bipinnate but with linear, thin leaflets that are covered with sporangia; they fall soon after the spores are released. For fronds, fiddleheads are covered with pale red-brown, long hairs when young (Wu et al. 2013).
Uses
Note: Please see the disclaimer regarding any information about medical or edible uses.
Fiddleheads of Osmunda japonica are eaten in Japan and China. In Japan, they are usually boiled with wood ash or sodium bicarbonate to remove the bitterness. They may also be salted, dried, or pickled (Hodge 1973). In China, they may be stir-fried or used in soups. The plant contains a starch that can be turned into noodles. The species was previously over-harvested and consumed in China and abroad in Japan (Liu et al. 2012).
Distribution
Osmunda japonica is found in exposed hillsides, grasslands, or forests, usually near streams, at an altitude of 100 to 3000 m. It is common in Russia (Sakhalin), Japan (including the Ryukyu Islands), Korea, China (generally from Shanxi Province southwards), northern India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam (Wu et al. 2013).
Status
References
Hodge, W. H. 1973. Fern Foods of Japan and the Problem of Toxicity. American Fern Journal 63: 77–80.
Liu, Y., Wujisguleng, W., and Long, C. 2012. Food uses of ferns in China: a review. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81: 263–270.
Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H., and Hong, D. Y., eds. 2013. Flora of China. Vol. 2-3 (Lycopodiaceae through Polypodiaceae). Beijing: Science Press, and St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Liu, Y., Wujisguleng, W., and Long, C. 2012. Food uses of ferns in China: a review. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81: 263–270.
Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H., and Hong, D. Y., eds. 2013. Flora of China. Vol. 2-3 (Lycopodiaceae through Polypodiaceae). Beijing: Science Press, and St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
Description
bottom of page