156 MR. BERKELEY OK THE RHIZOMA OE PTERIS AQTJILLNA. 



Note on the Use of the Rhizoma of Pteris aquilina as an Article 

 of Food. By the Eev. M. J. Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S. &c. 



[Read December 16th, 1856.] 



The rhizoma of Pteris aquilina, which abounds in starch and 

 mucilage, is sometimes used in Europe and Siberia to make a 

 coarse kind of bread. This circumstance is mentioned by Hout- 

 tuyn in his edition of the * Systema Plantarum ' of Linnaeus, ad- 

 verting at the same time to the report of Forster, that the New 

 Zealanders derive a large portion of their food from roasted fern- 

 roots pounded between stones, the woody matter being rejected as 

 useless. He expressly says, however, that the fern so used is not 

 Pteris aquilina, but Acrostichum falcatum, Linn. Houttuyn has, 

 however, made some mistake in this, as Gleichenia Hermanni,a,ndLiiot 

 Gleichenia furcata, a West Indian species, is the plant mentioned 

 by Forster under the name of Polypodium dicJiotomum, which, after 

 all, is a very doubtful native of New Zealand. It is now, however, 

 well known, not only that several species of Fern in New Zealand 

 afford an esculent rhizoma, but that amongst them is a species of 

 Pteris so like P. aquilina, that it is considered merely a variety of 

 that species under the name of esculenta. Having lately had occasion 

 to examine the rhizoma of our common Bracken, it became a 

 matter of interest to ascertain what sort of food might be afforded 

 by it. I accordingly roasted some of the rhizomata, and found 

 them eatable, but extremely disagreeable from their slimy consist- 

 ence and peculiar flavour, in both of which respects they precisely 

 resemble ill-ripened Brinjals. It struck me, however, that they 

 might afford a better food, if the slimy matter could be removed. 

 I accordingly scraped some of the rhizomata, which had first been 

 washed and peeled, avoiding, however, the two columns of hard 

 coloured tissue with which they are threaded, and then placed the 

 pulp thus obtained in water. After four-and-twenty hours, the 

 water had become extremely slimy and of a yellow-brown. This 

 was carefully decanted, and the pulp washed again with water, 

 which was now quite colourless. This also was decanted, and the 

 pulp, when sufficiently dry, was kneaded into a cake, and baked 

 upon the hearth. The result was a coarse but palatable food, 

 perfectly free from any disagreeable flavour, — much better indeed 

 to my taste, and probably not less nutritious, than Cassava bread. 

 In laying this note before the Society, I do not] make the 

 slightest pretension to novelty. The only interest which it may 

 be supposed to possess, is the confirmation of the views, so far as 



