The fern probably got the name bear's-paw from the rough, hiary appearance of the brown rhizomes. The genus name Dryopteris means "oak-fern" in Greek, because the plant often grows in oak forests. Botanists gave the plant its species name, filix-mas ("male fern"), becuase of its vigorous nature. (Another species, Athyrium filix-femina, or lady fern, got its name for its delicate appearance.) It was not until the mid-1800's that botanists learned that ferns were neither "male" nor "female" ; fern spores form small structures that produce both male and female cells. Becuase the spores cannot be seen by the naked eye, they were once believed to confer invisibility. Shakespeare alludes to this belief in Henry IV: "We have the recipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible."
(bearing in mind the side effects) Uses:
To get rid of tapeworm, herbalists prescribe a tea made of the rhizome (the "Meric Index", 1964, uses an ether extract, p. 764). The rhizome contains a chemical called an oleoresin which paralyzes the worm and causes it to release its grip on the intestines. Before taking male fern as a tapeworm expeller, a person is placed on a fat-free diet for two to three days. After the dose is given, a saline laxative is administered to expel the worm from the body.