FERNS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 5 



The majority of our ferns occur in the Malay islands 

 also, and a large proportion are found in the Mascarene 

 islands, as well as India and Polynesia and South America, 

 which is not the case with the higher flowering plants, few 

 of which except some weeds carried ahout by human agency 

 have as wide a distribution. Six species even occur in the 

 British Isles, viz., Trichomanes radicans, Hymenophyllum 

 Tiuib ridge use, Ptens aquilina, Lastrea Tltelypteris and Poly- 

 stichum aculeatum and Adianium Capillvs-veneris. 



There are however about 4:0 species which are endemic, 

 never having been collected anywhere else except in the 

 peninsula at present. 



Uses of Ferns. 



A good many of the local ferns are used for food in the 

 form of pot herbs in place of spinach, or as sumbuls with 

 curry, but chiefly by natives ; for excellent as many of these 

 are, Europeans are not acquainted with their merits and rarely 

 use them. Among the most popular are Stenochloena palus- 

 tris the " Miding " or " Lamiding " of the Malays, Anisogo- 

 nium esculentum " Paku Anjing," and the water-fern Cera- 

 topteris thalictroides, which occurs often abundantly in 

 ditches. Of these ferns the young fronds are collected and 

 boiled. 



From the stems of Eesam, (Gleiclienia linearis) are made 

 pens, and they are also used for making the walls and par- 

 titions of the fishing-stakes. 



The fronds of the common Plea pelt is Pliymatodes, when 

 dry, exhale a delicious odour of Coumarin, like that of the 

 Tonkin bean. Hence this fern is known as Paku Wangi or 

 scented fern. The fronds are dried and put among clothes, 

 especially I am told by the Eurasian population in order to 

 give them a pleasant perfume. 



Comparatively few ferns are accredited here with medical 

 properties. The golden brown hairs on the rhizome of Cileo- 

 ti urn Baromctz are used as a styptic for wounds for which they 

 are very suitable, and the rhizomes are sold in the drug-shops 



Rt A, Soc,, No, 50, 1908, 



