40 
FERNS AND FERNERIES. 
The uses of ferns are various, though none are very 
important. The long creeping rhizoma of a variety 
of Pteris aquilina was formerly much used in New 
Zealand for food, as it abounds in starch and mucilage. 
The large rhizoma of Marattia salicina is eaten when 
prepared in the same way as the Pteris, thus: The 
rhizoma, after being washed and peeled, is scraped 
so as to avoid including the hard-walled tissue, and 
then mixed with a sufficient quantity of water; the 
mucilage will be dissolved, and after a few hours may 
be decanted. A little colourless, tasteless mucilage will 
pass off on a second washing, and the residue, when 
baked, is palatable and also very nutritious. In cases of 
famine all the Bracken genera would thus become use¬ 
ful. Nephrodium filix-mas is still used as an occa¬ 
sional and often valuable remedy for tapeworms, and 
the downy-like scales from a species of Cibotium is used 
in Germany as a styptic under the name of “ Penghawar 
Djambi.” A similar substance largely used in Madeira 
for stuffing cushions is gathered from Dicksonia Culcita. 
Other species of ferns are used by the Indian women 
of Peru for perfumes. 
