Nephrolepis laurifolia

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Genus Nephrolepis

Plants terrestrial , epiphytic, or on rock. Stems ascending to erect , bearing wiry stolons and sometimes underground tubers. Leaves monomorphic , evergreen . Petiole ca. 1/10--1/2 length of blade , base not swollen; vascular bundles more than 3, arranged in an arc, ± round in cross section . Blade narrowly elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 1-pinnate (to 4--5-pinnate in various cultivated forms), very gradually reduced distally to minute pinnatifid apex, often seemingly indeterminate with apex never expanded, herbaceous to papery . Pinnae articulate to rachis, sometimes deciduous, segment (pinna) margins entire, crenulate , or biserrate ; proximal pinnae (usually several pairs) slightly to greatly reduced, sessile, equilateral or inequilateral with basiscopic base excised and often an acroscopic basal auricle ; costae adaxially grooved , grooves not continuous from rachis to costae; indument of linear-lanceolate scales and sometimes multicellular hairs on abaxial and sometimes adaxial surfaces. Veins free , forked . Sori ± round; indusia round-reniform and with deep sinus to semicircular with broad sinus or lunate without sinus and seemingly laterally attached, persistent . Spores brownish, tuberculate to rugose . x = 41.

Species 25--30: widespread in tropical areas.

Nephrolepis often has veins ending in hydathodes and whitish lime-dots adaxially.

Cultivars of Nephrolepis occasionally are found in the wild, where they persist for some time. Numerous forms of N. exaltata cv. `Bostoniensis' and its derivatives are widely cultivated, and the following are known from Florida: N. exaltata cv. `Bostoniensis', N. exaltata cv. `Elegantissima' complex , N. exaltata cv. `Florida Ruffles', N. exaltata cv. `M. P. Mills'.[1]

Physical Description

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

Members of the genus Nephrolepis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 34 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

N. averyi (Avery's Swordfern) · N. biserrata (Giant Sword Fern) · N. biserrata 'Macho' (Macho Fern) · N. cordifolia (Boston Fern) · N. cordifolia var. Lemon Buttons (Button Sword Fern) · N. cordifolia 'Duffii' (Fishbone Fern) · N. cordifolia 'Timmii' (Timm's Petticoat Fern) · N. exaltata (Boston Fern) · N. exaltata cordifolia (Boston Swordfern) · N. exaltata var. bostoniensis (Boston Fern) · N. exaltata var. Fluffy Ruffles (Sword Fern) · N. exaltata var. Whitmanii (Boston Fern) · N. exaltata 'Aurea' (Golden Boston Fern) · N. exaltata 'Bostoniensis' (Boston Fern) · N. exaltata 'Bostoniensis Aureus' (Golden Boston Fern) · N. exaltata 'Fluffy Ruffles Upright' (Boston Fern) · N. exaltata 'Ruth' (Ruth Fern) · N. exaltata 'Shadow Lace' (Boston Fern) · N. exaltata 'Suzi Wong' (Boston Swordfern) · N. exaltata 'Tiger Fern' (Boston Fern) · N. falcata (Fish Tail Swordfern) · N. falcata 'Fancy Frill' (Fishtail Fern) · N. falcata 'Furcans' (Furcans Fishtail Fern) · N. hirsutula (Scaly Swordfern) · N. laurifolia (Laurel-Leaf Swordfern) · N. multiflora (Asian Swordfern) · N. obliterata (Australian Sword Fern) · N. obliterata 'Kimberly Queen' (Australian Sword Fern) · N. obliterata 'Medusa' (Australian Sword Fern) · N. pectinata (Basket Fern) · N. rivularis (Streamside Swordfern) · N. undulata (Annual Swordfern) · N. x (Avery's Swordfern) · N. × averyi (Avery's Swordfern)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Darling, T. Jr. 1982. The deletion of Nephrolepis pectinata from the flora of Florida. Amer. Fern J. 72: 63.
• Nauman, C. E. 1981. The genus Nephrolepis in Florida. Amer. Fern J. 71: 35--40.
• Nauman, C. E. 1985. A Systematic Revision of the Neotropical Species of Nephrolepis
• Schott. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Tennessee. Wherry, E. T. 1964. The Southern Fern Guide. Garden City, N.Y.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
• USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2668272
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-503947
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1111542-2
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 503947
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 1111542-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: NELA2
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 49924

Footnotes

1. Clifton E. Nauman "Nephrolepis". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.