#pteris

Plant of the Day

Saturday 11 February 2023

The fronds of Pteris semipinnata are distinctive with lobed lower pinnae (leaflets) and entire pinnae nearer the frond tips. This tender fern is semi-evergreen and clump forming with a short creeping rhizome.

Originally known as Pteris esculenta when it was described by German botanist Georg Forster in 1786, and earned its current binomial name in 1908. ‘Esculentum’ refers to the edibility of the rhizomes, and ‘pteris’ tothe featherlike appearance. The Eora people of the Sydney region knew it as gurgi, and the Māori call it aruhe. I don’t know what the Noongar people over here in Western Australia call it, but the plant is common enough here particularly near fresh water.

The Māori cultivated the fern as a staple crop across much of Aoteoroa, by cleaning existing forests and encouraging fern growth, especially in rich soil, but the fern rapidly invades disturbed areas even without additional encouragement. The rhizomes would be air-dried for storage, were briefly heated and then softened with a patu aruhe (rhizome pounder). The starch could then be sucked from the fibers or collected for a larger feast. Patu aruhe were significant cultural items and several distinct styles were developed across New Zealand.  Australia’s indigenous people pounded the rhizomes and roasted the result.