Asplenium nidus L.

Kadaka (Asplenium nidus) is an epiphytic fern up to 1 meter tall from the Aspleniaceae family widely distributed from East Africa to Australia and Hawaii. Its leaf shape resembling a bird's nest earns it the nickname 'Bird's Nest Fern', while in Malaysia it is believed to be the home of the ghost of a woman who died in childbirth. Kadaka is traditionally used to promote hair growth and relieve labor pain.

Kadaka can grow terrestrially in soil, or epiphytically on trees and sometimes on rocks, at elevations from sea level up to 1,700 m asl. This plant can live in areas with high organic matter content, high soil and environmental humidity, but its leaves turn yellow if the roots are too wet, air temperature 16-24 °C, and prefers shade.

• Roots a sturdy, upright rhizome. The rhizome is covered with fine, dense, brown scales.
• Leaves single, emerging from the center of the plant forming an inverted cone or rosette resembling a bird's nest, blade elliptical like a sword narrowing or tapering toward both ends, approximately 50-120 cm long, and 10-20 cm wide, smooth margin with a wavy/wrinkled and glossy leaf surface, green, underside paler with brown lines along the midribs arranged in a circle. Venation single pinnate. Midrib prominent above, flat below, dark brown on old leaves. Petiole pale yellow to glossy black, grooved above, with 2 vascular strands at the base uniting upward into a single 4-armed strand.
• Sori usually somewhat long, line-shaped, arranged pinnately on each leaf blade, arranged following the venation or midribs, protected by a narrow indusium on the underside of the leaf, opening normally toward the frond, dark brown in color.
• Spores with irregular, thickened wings, transparent pale brown when fresh, turning dark brown. Sporangium small and stalked.

Propagation using spores. Spore germination is easier and more effective when grown in vitro.

Alkaloids, tannins, oxalic acid, phenols, flavonoids (gliricidin7-O-hexoside, quercetin-7-O-rutinoside, kaempferol 3-gentiobioside-7,4'-diglucoside, kaempferol 3-vicianoside, kaempferol 3-O-glycoside, and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside).

Promotes hair growth, eases childbirth, relieves labor pain, reduces fever, addresses chest pain, boils, wounds, asthma, elephantiasis, weakness, treats colds, jaundice, malaria, canker sores, halitosis (bad breath), has depurative (blood-cleansing), sedative, contraceptive, antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

Lokot (Kalimantan), Bird's nest fern.