Blechnopsis orientalis aka Oriental Blechnum

Blechnopsis orientalis is a fern from Asia and the Pacific. It stays green all year. Useful Tropical Plants calls it Blechnum orientale. It lists Blechnopsis orientalis as another name for the same plant. Its home range spans tropical and subtropical parts of Asia. It reaches New Guinea, Australia and the western Pacific. Records list China, southern Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The fern forms a clump. Its fronds arch out from the base. A thick rhizome, or stem, holds up the fronds. It forms a short trunk that stands upright. The stated height range is about 0.7–6.6 feet [0.2–2 metres]. The same source also gives a height of 3.3 feet [1 metre]. It does not give a usual size for plants in gardens. The fronds stay green all year. One image shows a fertile frond with spores on its underside. The species account says no more about frond shape.

In the wild, this fern grows on open rainforest slopes. It also grows on slopes cut next to roads. Plants can form groups, or colonies, in these places. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome, a broad climate zone. These records show its climate and where it grows wild. They do not show tested needs in gardens. The sources give no clear advice on light or water. They give no soil needs or limits for cold. Useful Tropical Plants notes its use for display. It gives no detailed guide to growing it.

People pick this wild fern for food and medicine. They cook the young shoots before they eat them. This does not mean that all parts are safe to eat. Folk medicine uses it for worms and problems passing urine. Other uses include diarrhoea, impotence, boils and tonics for general health. People also make a paste from young fronds for the skin. Uses include abscesses and ringworm. People also use it to try to stop bleeding.

The source notes a belief in Papua New Guinea that it can prevent pregnancy. This records folk use, not proof that it works or is safe. Reported plant compounds include an essential oil, phenolic compounds and triterpenoids. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards for this fern. That does not prove it is safe for pets or medicinal use. The sources name no pests or diseases.