Annual Sword Fern
Nephrolepis undulata (Afzel. ex Sw.) J.Sm.
Nephrolepis undulata, commonly known as Annual Sword Fern, is a species of fern in the family Nephrolepidaceae. It is found in a wide range of regions including BR, MW, TZ, various parts of Colombia, and globally in countries such as Angola, Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Brazil. It typically grows in terrestrial habitats such as grasslands, brushwood, and forests, or epilithically on cliffs, lava flows, and rocky outcrops, at altitudes between 300 and 2450 meters.
Description
Nephrolepis undulata forms tufts of 2 to 3 fronds. The runners are thin, branching at a wide angle, with sparse scales and tubers present. The fronds are 50 to 90 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide, with a strongly reduced base that tapers over 8 to 15 cm. The lamina is characterized by distinct pinnae, with sterile and fertile pinnae differing in shape and margin depth. The species is distinguished from N. cordifolia by its seasonal growth pattern, with new fronds sprouting from underground tubers each season. Typically, only one or two fronds develop in a season, with the first frond being the largest and connected to the tuber by a subterranean stem. The stipe and rachis are generally glabrous, with the stipe base often thicker than in N. cordifolia.
Other common names
Annual Sword Fernannual swordfern
Distribution
BR · MW · TZ · Antioquia, Boyacá, Chocó, Huila, Magdalena · Global · Angola · Assam · Bangladesh · Benin · Bolivia · Brazil Northeast · Brazil North · Brazil Southeast · Brazil West-Central · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Repu · Chad · Colombia · Comoros · Costa Rica · Ecuador · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Galápagos · Ghana · Guatemala
Synonyms
Aspidium undulatumNephrolepis undulata var. aureoglandulosaNephrolepis cordifolia f. aureoglandulosaNephrolepis tuberosa var. undulataNephrolepis cordifolia var. compactaNephrolepis cordifolia var. undulataNephrolepis tuberosa var. undulata