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Specimen count
Pteridophyte taxa known or reported from Sulawesi
Asplenium nidus
EOL Text
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 41
Specimens with Barcodes: 43
Species With Barcodes: 1
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
- See bird's-nest fern for other plants with this common name.
Asplenium nidus is an epiphytic species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae, native to tropical southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, Hawaii,[citation needed] Polynesia,[citation needed] Christmas Island,[citation needed] India,[citation needed] and eastern Africa. It is known by the common names bird's-nest fern[1][3] (a name shared by other aspleniums) or simply nest fern.[3]
Contents
Description[edit]
Asplenium nidus forms large simple fronds visually similar to banana leaves, with the fronds growing to 50–150 cm long and 10–20 cm broad. They are light green, often crinkled, with a black midrib, and exhibit circinate vernation. Spores develop in sori on the underside of the fronds. These sori form long rows extending out from the midrib on the back of the outer part of the lamina (frond). The fronds roll back as they brown and create a massive leaf nest in the branches and trunks of trees.
Native distribution[edit]
Asplenium nidus is native to east tropical Africa (in Tanzania, inclusive of the Zanzibar Archipelago); temperate and tropical Asia (in Indonesia; East Timor; the prefecture of Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan; Malaysia; the Philippines; Taiwan; and Thailand); and in Australasia (in the northern part of Queensland in Australia).[3]
Habitat[edit]
Asplenium nidus can survive either as an epiphytal, or terrestrial plant, but typically grows on organic matter. This fern often lives in palm trees or bromeliads, where it collects water and humus in its leaf-rosette.[citation needed] It thrives in warm, humid areas in partial to full shade.
Uses[edit]
With a minimum temperature of 10 °C (50 °F), Asplenium nidus is widely cultivated in temperate regions as a houseplant.[4] Apparently, most plants sold in America as A. nidus are actually Asplenium australasicum, which has longer sori, and a differently shaped midrib.(R. J. Johns, in the 2001 Flora Malesiana Symposium)
Asplenium nidus has been used locally in folk medicine (to treat asthma, sores and weakness) and hygienically to treat halitosis.[5]
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[6]
The sprouts of A. nidus are eaten as a vegetable in Taiwan.[citation needed] In Taiwan this plant is called 山蘇 (pronounced shān sũ) and typically cut into inch length pieces and fried with garlic and chilli peppers.
Protection[edit]
In Hong Kong, this species is under protection based on Forestry Regulations Cap. 96A.
See also[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ a b Asplenium nidus was first described and published in Species Plantarum 2: 1079. 1753. "Name - !Asplenium nidus L.". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ "Name - !Asplenium nidus L. synonyms". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c GRIN (April 14, 1995). "Asplenium nidus information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
- ^ James A. Duke. "Asplenium nidus (ASPLENIACEAE)". Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Asplenium nidus". Retrieved 5 June 2013.
Further reading[edit]
- (Portuguese) LORENZI, H.; SOUZA, M.S. (2001) Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil: arbustivas, herbáceas e trepadeiras. Plantarum ISBN 85-86714-12-7
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Asplenium_nidus&oldid=603955064 |
These litter-basket ferns - so-called because the basket-shaped rosette of long fronds trap falling twigs and leaf litter - can be up to 2m in diameter, and large ferns can contain substantial quantities of organic matter.At the base of the fern is a sponge-like root mass that soaks up rain water and absorbs nutrients released from the decaying litter.In Borneo, the rainforest canopy has approximately 50 Asplenium nidus per hectare. They grow on tree trunks and branches at heights of up to 60m above the ground.In one study, several large bird’s nest ferns were removed intact from the canopy and lowered to the ground using winches, ropes and pulleys, and were found to weight between 170 and 200kg.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Dr David Jones, Natural History Museum |
Source | No source database. |
Asplenium nidus was first described by the great naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1753.There are about 700 species in the genus Asplenium, and Asplenium nidus is one of several closely related and similar-looking species, which all have the common name bird’s nest fern. Because it can be difficult to tell apart some species of bird’s nest fern, they are often referred to as a ‘species complex’.The Asplenium nidus complex is distributed from east Africa and India, through south-east Asia and southern China to eastern Australia, Polynesia and Hawaii.This fern can grow on the ground but is more frequently found growing as an epiphyte on trees.The apple-green fronds can grow to a length of 150cm, and have a blackish midrib when mature. Long rows of sori (clusters of sporangia, within which the spores develop) form on the underside of the fronds.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Dr David Jones, Natural History Museum |
Source | No source database. |
Neottopteris nidus (L.) J. Sm.:
Burma (Asia)
Cambodia (Asia)
India (Asia)
Japan (Asia)
Philippines (Asia)
Vietnam (Asia)
China (Asia)
Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
- Flora of China Editorial Committee. 1988-2013. Fl. China Unpaginated. Science Press & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing & St. Louis.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Tropicos.org Copyright (c) Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.tropicos.org/Name/26603312?tab=distribution |
Asplenium nidus L.:
India (Asia)
Madagascar (Africa & Madagascar)
Sri Lanka (Asia)
United States (North America)
China (Asia)
Philippines (Asia)
Burma (Asia)
Cambodia (Asia)
Vietnam (Asia)
Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
- Anonymous. 1986. List-Based Rec., Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S.D.A. Database of the U.S.D.A., Beltsville.
- Hochreutiner, B. P. G. 1908. Sertum madagascariense. Etude systematique de deux collections de plantes a Madagascar par M.M. J. Guillot et H. Rusillon. Annuaire Conserv. Jard. Bot. Genève 11/12: 35–135.
- Rakotondrainibe, F. & M. Randriambololona. 1999. La flore ptéridologique du complexe des réserves de l'Andringitra et d'Ivohibe. Rech. Développem. Sér. Sci. Biol. 15: 23–42.
- Tardieu-Blot, M. L. 1958. Aspleniacees. Fl. Madagasc. 5(7): 180–247.
- Rutenberg, C. 1880-1889. Reliquiae Rutenbergianae. Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 7(1): 1–54; 7(2): 198–214; 7(3): 335–365; 9(4): 401–403; 10(3): 369–396.
- Flora of China Editorial Committee. 1988-2013. Fl. China Unpaginated. Science Press & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing & St. Louis.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Tropicos.org Copyright (c) Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.tropicos.org/Name/26601011?tab=distribution |
United States
Origin: Unknown/Undetermined
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Asplenium+nidus |