Schizaea dichotoma
(L.) Sm.
Branched comb fern
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-sa
(c) Nuno Veríssimo P., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Nuno Veríssimo P.
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jacqui Geux
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-sa
(c) ngirabembangch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by ngirabembangch
Summary
Source: WikipediaSchizaea dichotoma, the branched comb fern, in the family Schizaeaceae, is a small plant usually found in open forest or heath, often on sandy soils. The habit is mostly upright, with up to 20 segments, twice or more times branched, or dichotomous. It is native to southern and southeast Asia from India eastwards, and to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Malesia and islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is a low-growing plant, 20 to 40 cm tall. The specific epithet dichotoma is derived from Greek, meaning "twice cut", referring to the branched nature of the fronds. This plant first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1753 as Acrostichum dichotomum, published in the Species Plantarum by Carl Linnaeus. Unusual for a fern, it is said to be a saprophyte facilitated by a fungal symbiote.
Description
A fern. It grows 20-40 cm tall. The segments are twice branched.
This description is brief — help expand it
Where It Grows
Australia, New Zealand, Pacific,
Synonyms
References (1)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew