Schizaea dichotoma
Schizaea dichotoma (L.) Sm.
Schizaea dichotoma, known as the branched comb fern, is a small, upright fern in the family Schizaeaceae. It typically grows in open forest or heath, often on sandy soils. The plant is characterized by its dichotomously branched fronds and reaches a height of 20 to 40 cm. It is native to southern and southeast Asia, extending eastward to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Malesia, and various Pacific islands. The species was first described in 1753 as Acrostichum dichotomum by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum.
Description
Schizaea dichotoma is distinguished by its fronds, which are divided into up to 20 segments and repeatedly dichotomously branched. The specific epithet 'dichotoma' comes from the Greek for 'twice cut', reflecting the plant's branching structure. It is considered unusual among ferns for potentially being a saprophyte, relying on a fungal symbiote for nutrients. The plant is widely distributed across southern and southeast Asia, including regions such as India, Hainan, Borneo, and the Andaman Islands, as well as across Oceania and parts of Africa like Madagascar and Mauritius.
Distribution
TW · Australia · Oceania · Southern Asia · Andaman Is. · Bangladesh · Bismarck Archipelago · Borneo · Caroline Is. · Cook Is. · Fiji · Hainan · India · Kermadec Is. · Madagascar · Malaya · Maluku · Marianas · Marquesas · Mauritius · Myanmar · Nansei-shoto · New Caledonia · New Guinea · New South Wales · New Zealand North · Nicobar Is. · Niue · Northern Territory · Philippines
Synonyms
Lophidium dichotomumSchizaea copelandicaSchizaea forsteriAcrostichum dichotomumOsmunda dichotomaSchizaea cristataSchizaea biroiSchizaea kikuzatonisRipidium dichotomumSchizaea dichotoma var. forsteri