Microlepia strigosa

Microlepia strigosa, known as hay-scented fern, lace fern, rigid lace fern and palapalai, is a fern indigenous to the Hawaiian islands and is also native to other parts of the tropics and subtropics including India and Malaysia.^[1] This fern belongs to a group of about seventy Microlepia species in the bracken or hay-scented fern family (Dennstaedtiaceae). There are two indigenous species and a hybrid found in the main Hawaiian Islands. It is also known by the botanical names: Davallia hirta, Davallia setosa, Davallia strigosa, Dicksonia kaulfussiana, Dicksonia strigosa, Microlepia hirta, Microlepia setosa, Stenoloma tenuifolium, Trichomanes strigosum.^[2] It has coarse, light to medium green fronds which can grow to more than 3 ft (0.9 m) long.

Microlepia strigosa
Microlepia strigosa var. strigosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Family:	Dennstaedtiaceae
Genus:	Microlepia
Species:	M. strigosa
Binomial name
Microlepia strigosa (Thunb.) C.Presl.

Uses

Early Hawaiians used the fronds to decorate hula altars dedicated to Laka, goddess of hula.^[3] The ferns were used as head lei (lei poʻo), neck lei (lei ʻāʻī), and wrist lei (lei kūpeʻe) and to provide a soft base against the skin.^[4] The plants were believed to be a cure for insanity.^[5] It was also used to bathe in and young leaf fronds were fed to babies.^[6]