Greater Selaginella

Overview

Selanginella doederleinii is native to Cambodia, China, Hainan, Japan, Laos, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan, Vietnam. It is abundant in South and Southwestern China at low altitude and has been used as folk medicine.

Vernacular Names

Paku cakar ayam (Indonesia), Herba Selaginellae doederleinii (Latin), Shi shang bai (Chinese).

Agroecology

S. doederleinii grows in a tropical climate along the edges of streams, wet cobblestones, and in the wet cliff wall, from a height of 400-750 m above sea level, cold climate/ temperature 20-25 °C or less.

Morphology

• Roots - fibrous,which arise from the leafless stems and blackish brown.
• Stem - straight, height 15-35 cm, round, clay, branching like a fork, without secondary growth and brownish white.
• Leaves - small, length of 4-5 mm, 2 mm wide, oblong shape, tapered tip, flat base, upper leaf colour dark green, light green bottom. The leaves are arranged on either side of the trunk mainsup to the branches that resembles chicken scratch with scales, smooth and green.

Cultivation

• In nature, it is propagated by spores. At home or in the greenhouse, we usually propagate by plant division or stem cuttings.
• The plant needs very little plant food. Feed twice a year, with a water soluble fertilizer diluted to ½ the recommended strength. Do not fertilize newly potted plants for at least 2 months.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloid, saponin, flavonoid, phenylpropanone, phytosterols, glycoside, hieron, lignans, myristic acid, β-Citronellol, palmitic acid, emodin, apigenin, ferulic acid, syringate, amentoflavone.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• It is used for the therapy of sore throat, rheumatoid arthritis, and different tumors with a long history, especially for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, lung cancer, and cervical cancer.
• This plant is efficacious foreliminating hot and humid, smooth the blood flow, antitoxic, antineoplastic, stop the bleeding (hemostatic) and eliminate swelling. It is also efficacious for treating coughs, respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, hepatitis, diarrhea, vaginal discharge, and broken bones
• Traditionally used to heal wound, bloody stools, internal hemorrhoid bleeding, menstrual and uterine disorder, blood expediting, enhancing body endurance and longevity of live, headache, etc.