Witnessed by: TCM
Brake fern (Pteris multifida), of the Pteridaceae family. Small tufted fern of moist shaded stonework; native range: southern and central China, on old walls and shaded rocks. Globally recognized as feng wei cao (凤尾草) in Chinese, and phoenix-tail fern, spider brake in English. The part used is whole plant. Finely divided green fronds, bitter and cooling, without aroma.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
BRAKE FERN
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- brake fern
- Scientific name
- Pteris multifida Poir.
- Family
- Pteridaceae
Form
- Part used
- whole plant
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- cold
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Large Intestine · Heart · Liver · Bladder
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- clears heat, drains damp, cools the blood, resolves toxicity, and checks dysentery
Cautions
- Contraindications
- avoid in cold from deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach
- Toxicity
- none of note at customary dose
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