Maidenhair is small easy growing plant that is normally found
throughout California and US.
It is a medicinal plant which is usually grows as ornamental plant in
most gardens and other homes.
Basically maidenhair is true fern which is mostly used in ornamental
showcase work.
Maidenhair is small creeper, slender, branched and having entirely
marginal with single broad tooth near base.
The leaves are green fronds segmented into pinnae 5 to 10 mm long and
wide.
This short creeper grows to 20 to 70 cm tall in height.
Maidenhair is commonly a houseplant and made into the work of
decorations and ornamental work.
It is cultivated in Europe, Africa, North America, Central America and
southern Missouri and Kentucky.
Leaves and rhizomes.
The key constituents found in maidenhair are Adiantone, adiantoxide,
astragalin, beta-sitosterol, caffeic acids, caffeylgalactose,
caffeylglucose, campesterol, carotenes, coumaric acids, coumarylglucoses,
diplopterol, epoxyfilicane, fernadiene, fernene, filicanes, hopanone,
hydroxy-adiantone, hydroxy-cinnamic acid, isoadiantone, isoquercetin,
kaempferols, lutein, mutatoxanthin, naringin, neoxanthin, nicotiflorin,
oleananes, populnin, procyanidin, prodelphinidin, quercetins,
querciturone, quinic acid, rhodoxanthin, rutin, shikimic acid,
violaxanthin, and zeaxanthin.
The main uses of maidenhair have known to be for respiratory problems
such as cough, cold, fever, pneumonia, and mucous formation.
Maidenhair is also useful in hair loss, gallstones, menstrual disorders,
and purifies blood and liver.
The properties administered to maidenhair are said to be anti-bacterial,
anti-candidal, anti-viral, contraceptive and hypoglycemic.
The decoction prepared from maidenhair works as cough suppressant,
expectorant, menstrual stimulant and decongestant.