Month: February 2014

Species: Brainea insignis English Name: Cycad-fern Chinese Name: 蘇鐵蕨 Family: Blechnaceae Description: Stem is blackish brown, erect, stout up to ca. 1 m tall and a diameter of 15cm. Fronds are clustered in a terminal crown. Found in China, Taiwan and other tropical regions of Asia, on damps and exposed hillsides.   References: –  Department…

Species: Blechnum orientale English Name: Oriental Blechnum Chinese Name: 鳥毛蕨 Family: Blechnaceae Description: Its rhizome is more or less erect, thick and decently covered with narrow dark brown scales. Fronds are up to 130cm tall. Found in India, Nepal, South China, Japan, Australia and Polynesia. Tender young fronds are eaten as vegetables. The croziers may…

Species: Neottopteris nidus English Name: Bird-nest Fern Chinese Name: 巢蕨、鳥巢蕨、山蘇花 Family:  Aspleniaceae Description: Grows up to 2m in diameter, and as large ferns, it can contain large quantities of organic matter. At the base it has a sponge like root mass that soaks up rain water and absorbs nutrients released from the decaying litter. Used…

Species: Pronephrium simplex English Name: Simple Pronephrium Chinese Name: 單葉新月蕨 Family: Thelypteridaceae Description: Plants 30-40cm tall. Rhizomes long creeping, with sparse, dark brown lanceolate scales and hooked hair at the apices. Found in China, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam, on areas nearby streams and forests in valleys.   References: –  Department of Gardens and Green Areas,…

Species: Macrothelypteris torresiana English Name: Mariana Maiden Fern Chinese Name: 普通針毛蕨 Family: Thelypteridaceae Description: This is a big and robust fern, with fronds up to 1,2m tall. Its rhizome is short creeping. Found throughout tropical Asia, Polynesia, Hawai, Japan and Australia. It usually occurs on sunny slopes along roads at the edges of forests.  …

Species: Cyclosorus parasiticus English Name: Parasitic Cyclosorus Chinese Name: 華南毛蕨 Family: Thelypteridaceae Description: Rhizomes short to creeping to long creeping, about 8mm in diameter. Scales are narrow and pale to dark brown. Fronds approximate to distant- Found in the tropic and subtropic regions of Asia, and also in Japan and New Zealand. It mainly occurs on…

Species: Cyclosorus latipinnus English Name: Broad-pinna Cyclosorus Chinese Name: 寬羽毛蕨 Family: Thelypteridaceae Description: With proximate fronds it grows up to 20 cm, its rhizomes are shortly creeping, dark brown and with brown lanceolate linear scales. It’s found in China and throughout South East Asia, on wet or semi open forest margins beside streams.   References: – …

Species: Cyclosorus interruptus English Name: Willdenow’s maiden fern Chinese Name: 間斷毛蕨、毛蕨 Family: Thelypteridaceae Description: This creeping fern with harsh, hairless olive green fronds reaches up to 1m height. Its rhizome is creeping, tup to 4mm in diameter. It is found throughout Asia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Hawai, on the vicinity of freshwater swamps, on…

Species:  Cyclosorus dentatus English Name:  Downy Wood-Fern Chinese Name: 齒牙毛蕨、野毛蕨 Family:  Thelypteridaceae Description: Stems short-creeping, 4 to 6mm diameter, and up to 100m high.             Photos used under a Creative Commons license References: –  Department of Gardens and Green Areas, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region,…