graceful fern
Niphidium crassifolium (L.) Lellinger
Niphidium crassifolium, known as graceful fern, is a species of fern in the family Polypodiaceae. It is found in Central and South America, growing epiphytically on trees, on rocks, or on the ground, especially at higher altitudes. The plant has a rhizome with rootlets covered in dark reddish-brown scales that form a root basket, helping to collect leaf litter and dust to create a nutrient-rich soil. Its leaves are simple in shape, 13–85 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, with a wax-like film when dry. The sori are round and large, arranged in single rows between veins at the leaf's far end.
Description
Niphidium crassifolium is a fern species in the Polypodiaceae family, commonly called the graceful fern. It is distributed across Central and South America, including regions in Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and others. This species is primarily epiphytic, growing in tree canopies, but can also be found on rocks or the ground. It features a rhizome with fine rootlets covered in dark reddish-brown scales, which form a root basket that collects organic material and retains moisture. The leaves are simple, 13–85 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, and possess a waxy coating when dry. The sori are large and round, arranged in single rows between veins on the leaf's outer edge.
Other common names
graceful fern
Distribution
BR · SFF Iguaque Parque Nacional Natural Selva de Florencia | Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas | Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena | Parque Nacional Natural Tinigua | Parque Nacional Natural Sumapaz | Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali · Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados · Guadalupe | Puerto Wilches | Suratá · Pauna · Amazonas, Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caquetá, Cauca, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Huila, Meta, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle, Vaupés · Jardín Botánico de Bogotá · Argentina Northeast · Argentina Northwest · Belize · Bolivia · Brazil Northeast · Brazil North · Brazil Southeast · Brazil South · Brazil West-Central · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · French Guiana · Guatemala · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Leeward Is. · Mexico Central
Synonyms
Phymatodes acrosoraPhymatodes porrectaAnaxetum crassifoliumPhymatodes crassifoliaPleopeltis crassifoliaPessopteris crassifoliaPolypodium giganteumPolypodium porrectumPleuridium angustumDrynaria crassifoliaDipteris crassifoliaPleuridium crassifoliumSerpocaulon giganteumPolypodium brasiliense f. giganteumPessopteris crassifolia var. angustaCampyloneurum crassifoliumPolypodium coriaceumPolypodium crassifolium
