MALE FERN

Latin Name: Dryopteris filix-mas

Alternate Names: Male Shield Fern, Bear's Paw Root, Sweet Brake, Knotty Brake, Aspidium

Family: ASPLENIACEAE

Parts Used: Rhizome.

Properties: Alterative, Anthelmintic, Astringent, Vermifuge.

Internal Uses: Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworm

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules.

The roots paralyze the muscles of parasites so that they loose their grip. It works best if a person follows a fat- and alcohol-free diet for two to three days before ingesting Male Fern. Then follow with a saline laxative, such Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to drive the parasites out.

Topical Uses: Boils

Topical Applications: Apply to boils and sores to aid healing.

Energetics: Bitter, Cold, Pungent.

Chemical Constituents: Oleo-resin with filicin, tannins, triterpenes, alkanes, essential oils, resins.

Contraindications: Toxic, irritant. Use only with the supervision of a competent health care professional. Too little will be ineffective, whereas too large of a dose can cause blindness (optic nerve lesions), coma and even death. Avoid during pregnancy and in cases of heart disease.

Avoid using with alcohol. Best to follow a fat-free diet when using this herb, so as to keep toxins from being absorbed.

Comments: Dryopteris, the genus name, is Greek for 'oak fern' as it grows in oak forests. The spores cannot be seen with the naked eye, and it was once believed that carrying the herb would make one invisible, as aluded to in Shakespeare's Henry V. -- 'We have the receipt of fern seed. We walk invisible'.

A former name for Male Fern is Alpidium felix-mas. Also used is the name Felix spinulosa.