Bayabang is a terrestrial or epiphytic fern. Rhizomes are densely clothed with brownish scales, with fleshy,
egg-shaped tubers. Stipes are tufted and glossy, often clothed with slender
soft, brown paleae, 2.5 to 25 centimeters long, not jointed to rootstock. (Note:
a jointed rootstock, in contrast, breaks off very easily from its point
of attachment, leaving a more or less rounded, even-edged depression.) Fronds are simply pinnate, smooth, linear lanceolate, 20 to 60
centimeters long, 2.5 to 5 centimeters wide. Pinnae are numerous, often imbricated at the widened bases, 4 to 8
millimeters wide, the apex more or less bluntish, the base heart-shaped, jointed
to rachis, base rounded on the lower side and auricled on the upper
side, toothed to subentire. Sori are large, round, submedial, nearer the edge than the midrib. Indusium is usually reniform, broad, opening towards the apices
of the pinnae.
(Note: Resembles the common Boston Fern
(Nephrolepsis exaltata L.), an ornamental used extensively in flower
wreath-making, but the N. cordifolia frond is narrower.)
- A common terrestrial fern used locally
in gardens as a hedge plant.
- Found at all altitudes in Batanes Islands in the Provinces of Bontoc, Benguet, Ifugao, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Pampanga, Rizal, and Laguna in Luzon; and in Cotobato, Lanao, and Zamboanga Provinces in Mindanao.
Also grows wild in forests and wastelands, from sea-level to above 7000 feet altitudes.
- Pantropic and tropical.
· Tubers, rhizomes, fronds.
· Collect the fleshy underground tubers, remove the epidermal
scales, wash, boil, and sun-dry.
- Tubers were found to contain high amounts of moisture, fat, carbohydrate, and calcium; protein was maximum in the rhizome part.
- Study isolated five compounds and identified as daucosteorl, palmitic monoglycerol ester, ß-sitosterol, astrafgalin and quercitrim. (10)
- Study of essential oil yielded main components of hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester,hexadecanoic acid butyl ester,n-butyl laurate,linoleic acid ethyl ester,(R) Ethyl oleate,9,12-octadecadienoic acid ethyl ester,butyl oleate,dodencanoil acid ethyl ester,cedrol,1H-3a,7-methanoazulene,2,3,4,7,8,8a-hexahyd. (13)
Faintly sweet, mildly tart.
Cooling, stomachic, febrifuge, antitussive, tonic.
Considered antibacterial, antitussive, styptic, antifungal.
- In Nepal, fresh and roasted tubers are consumed by locals. Tubers are eaten to quench thirst.
- In India, young leaves are cooked as vegetable.
• Decoction of fresh fronds
for fever due to cold, chronic coughing, enteritis-diarrhea, infantile
• In India, herb
is used for cough and skin diseases.
• In Tamil Nadu the bulb or tuber extract is taken for stomach upsets and urinary problems.
• Rhizome used as antibacterial; for coughs, rheumatism, chest congestion, anorexia.
• Pinnae used for coughs, wounds and treatment of jaundice.
• In Nepal , juice of root tubers taken for fever, indigestion, headache, cough, cold and hematuria. Whole plant used for kidney, liver and skin disorders.
• In India local tribal women use extract of rhizome once during the menstrual period to cause permanent sterility.
• In Madhya Pradesh, plants used on wounds to stop bleeding. Also used for cough and intestinal disorders, stomach ulcers and acidity. (9)
- In Nepal, tuber juice used for gastric troubles. (11)
- In Nepal, Extract of rhizome used once during menstrual period to cause permanent sterility in women. (12)
• Diuretic / Rhizome:
Study showed Nephrolepis cordifolia rhizome juice to be active in the
renal system of rats. Results indicated it to be an effective hypernatremic,
hyperchloremic hyperkalemic diuretic. (1)
• Nutrient Analysis:
Study showed tubers contain high amount of moisture, fat, carbohydrate and calcium, while protein are maximum in the rhizome part of the plant. (2)
• Antibacterial Polysaccharide:
Study extract polysaccharide which was shown to have various activities against gram positive phytopathogenic microorganisms and animal pathogenic bacteria. (3)
In a study of pteridophytes for antibacterial and antifungal activities, the water extract of N. cordifolia showed antimicrobial properties. In another study, an ethanol extract showed marginally activity against P. mirabilis, E. aerogenes, E. coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. (5) Study of plant parts (rhizome, rachis and frond) extracts of ethnomedicinal ferns of Darjeeling viz. Nephrolepis cordifolia, Pteris vitata, and Adiantum capilus-veneris showed good antimicrobial activity. In Nephrolepis cordifolia highest activity for both gram positive and gram negative bacteria is found in the frond extract. (8)
Common garden hedge plant.