MEDICINAL PLANTS

The leaves of this fern-unlike what happens with the more common Iberian Peninsula are entire, undivided, and may reach up to 25 inches long. They have a main vein and the sori are arranged in parallel and oblique to the midrib. It develops mainly in caves in limestone-rich soils, especially in dark areas with abundant moisture. You can also locate in regions with dark walls rainy and humid climate, mainly in the north.

FLOWERING

Being a fern can not speak of flowering, but development of sporangia, as ripening period corresponds to the months of April and May.

APPLICATIONS

The composition is not known in detail. Only we have studied the sori containing about three per cent fat, plus ethene acid and myristic acid. The fern fronds have mucilages and astringent principles, reason has been used popularly as vulnerary in healing wounds, bruises and hematomas. It has also been attributed to some hypotensive action, aperitif, chest and liver, but these data lose credibility over the years, so that their use in medicine is increasingly restricted, but still some old books and pharmacopoeias talk this plant vulnerary along with other species in the making of preparations for such purposes. In areas where their location is often still used today in the form of teas, a practice that dates back to the principles of Christianity.

ADMINISTRATION

Infusion. Five grams of the aerial parts of the fern are added to three hundred milliliters of water that we previously boiled, leaving it in contact for twelve minutes. It can be taken orally, thus procuring slight lowering effects.
Decoction. He added ten grams of the aerial parts of the fern to three hundred milliliters of water, letting it boil for fifteen minutes. The liquid obtained is applied at room temperature and washed by or with the help of pads on wounds, sores or eczema difficult to cure. Popularly teas were prepared with one hundred grams of the aerial parts of the fern, which were added to a liter of water, obtaining a liquid which diluted the wine that usually take at meals, was considered effective against snake bites, although today it has proved totally ineffective in this preparation

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Polipodiaceas
HABITAT: Limestone soils
FLOWERING: Mature sporangia from April
PART USED: Aerial parts
CASTILIAN: Lengua cervina
CATALAN: Llengua de cérvol
BASQUE: Oren-mihi
GALICIAN: Lingua de cervo

USES

Moderate hypotensive, Hemostatic Moderate, Mild Vulnerary.