Centipede

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Centipede (Latin Polypodium) - a moisture-loving shade-tolerant perennial fern from the family of the same name Centipede. This plant also has other names - sweet fern or sweet root.

Description

The centipede is, albeit small in size, but at the same time an incredibly spectacular fern with feathery evergreen leaves. As a rule, the height of this plant is in the range from ten centimeters to half a meter. The length of the finger-complex leathery leaves of the centipede often reaches twenty centimeters, and the creeping rhizome of this fern, covered with small golden-brownish scales, boasts a characteristic sweetish taste, due to which the plant is popularly called "sweet root".

Centipede sori are located along the central veins in two rows. Initially, they have a golden color, but after some time, these soruses begin to darken slowly. And the maturation of spores usually occurs in the first half of the summer.

In total, the genus of the centipede has from 300 to 1100 independent varieties, which are quite different from each other and are common in a wide variety of climatic zones. At the same time, depending on the growing zone of the millipede, it is customary to distinguish both evergreen and deciduous varieties of this plant!

Where grows

The centipede is quite widespread both in the Southern Hemisphere (in a number of regions of the temperate zone) and in the Northern Hemisphere (in the mountain-tundra, subalpine, mountain-forest and forest zones). Most often, this magnificent fern can be seen on scree, on mossy stones, as well as under the forest canopy and in rock crevices. By the way, this is the only epiphyte fern growing on the territory of Central Russia!

Usage

Not all varieties of centipedes are suitable for growing in the middle lane, which is why in such areas mainly the common centipede is grown. And in Western Europe, about ten magnificent garden forms of this plant are grown. By the way, in culture, not only natural or ordinary garden forms of the millipede are grown, but also its completely incomparable garden forms with curly leaves in all respects!

However, the millipede is used not only as an ornamental plant. The most useful essential oil is extracted from its rhizomes, which is used in a wide variety of areas of human activity: in Indian medicine, this essential oil is an effective laxative, and in veterinary medicine it is used for cysticercosis in ruminants or pigs. The centipede is also used in folk medicine: its leaves are used for dermatoses, as well as as an appetite-improving and expectorant agent, and in the Caucasus, this plant is also used for arthralgias, in addition, there the centipede also gained fame as a powerful antineoplastic agent. The rhizomes of this fern are no less actively used: in Great Britain they are used for epilepsy, in Bulgaria - for bronchopneumonia, and in the Netherlands they are completely included in the country's pharmacopoeia and are used to make a number of homeopathic remedies. It is important not to forget that this plant is poisonous!

Growing and caring

The centipede will feel best in semi-shady areas with moisture-consuming, loose soils. And the reproduction of this beauty is carried out mainly with the help of segments of rhizomes. Transplanted in the spring (especially in May), this plant takes root very quickly!