Fishbone Fern

Nephrolepis cordifolia is an evergreen fern that grows to between 40 and 80 centimeters, in extreme cases up to 1 meter. It forms an underground rhizome in the form of several small tubers. The pinnate fronds are erect and pinnate linear to lanceolate, glandular and simple. The rachis bears bicolored chaff scales. The petiole is covered with bicolored pale and dark brown scales. The leaflets are entire, sessile and elongate-lanceolate. They grow up to 4.8 centimeters long and up to 0.9 cm wide. They stand at a distance of less than 1 centimeter. The sori are rounded. The spores are warty, wrinkled.

It is native to the following regions as defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions:

West-Central Tropical Africa – Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Islands Western Indian Ocean – Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles China – China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Tibet Eastern Asia – Japan, Kazan-retto, Korea, Nansei-shoto, Ogasawara-shoto, Taiwan Indian Subcontinent – Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Laccadive Islands, Nepal, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya Indo-China – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, South China Sea, Thailand, Vietnam Malesia – Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Philippines, Sulawesi Australia – New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Queensland Southwestern Pacific – Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu South-Central Pacific – Marquesas, Pitcairn Island, Society Islands, Tubuai Islands Northwestern Pacific – Caroline Islands North-Central Pacific – Hawaii It has been introduced into the following regions:

East Tropical Africa – Kenya, Tanzania Macaronesia – Azores, Madeira Southern Africa – Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces, Swaziland Indian Subcontinent – Pakistan Indo-China – Thailand New Zealand – New Zealand North, New Zealand South Southeastern Europe – Italy Southwestern Europe – France, Spain Mexico – Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest Southeastern U.S.A. …