oak fern

English

An oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris).

Alternative forms

• oakfern

Noun

oak fern (plural oak ferns)

1. A fern of genus Gymnocarpium (syn. Thelypteris) which grows on trees, especially Gymnocarpium dryopteris.
2. A bat's wing fern (Histiopteris incisa)
3. Synonym of common polypody (Polypodium vulgare), a fern formerly thought to have medicinal properties when found growing on an oak.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
     , II.12:

     Why say we, that […] to know the vertue of Reubarb, qualitie of Oak ferne, and operation of Polipodie, is only peculiar unto man?

Translations

Gymnocarpium dryopteris

• Icelandic: þrílaufungur (is) m
• Welsh: rhedyn tridarn f pl

Polypodium vulgare

• Welsh: rhedyn cyffredin f pl, rhedyn y derw f pl

Further reading

• oak fern on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “oak fern”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.