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Davallia heterophylla

Sm.

(no common name)

Davalliaceae

Davallia heterophylla is a species of fern in the family Davalliaceae. It is widespread in southeastern Asia and Oceania.

Description

Davallia heterophylla spreads via rhizomes; rhizomes are about 1.5 mm in diameter and densely covered with long scales that are 6 mm long and 0.7 mm wide. Fronds are dimorphic, meaning the fertile fronds which bear the sori look different from the sterile fronds. Sterile fronds have stipes that are 0.5 to 2.5 cm long with narrow wings. The lamina is 6 to 9 cm long and 2 to 2.5 cm wide, leathery. oblong, long-tipped, round or wedge-shaped at the base, and with smooth margins. Veins are free, meaning they diverge but never join back. Fertile lobes have stipes that are 1 to 2.5 cm long with narrow wings. The lamina is up to 9 cm long and 1 cm wide, linear to lanceolate, narrowing at the base and the tip. The lamina is lobed about halfway to the middle, with round and wavy lobes. Each lobe has 3 to 5 sori, each on the end of the veinlets; indusia are 1 mm long and 2 mm wide, brown, and smooth-margined (Lindsay and Middleton 2012).

Uses

​Note: Please see the disclaimer regarding any information about medical or edible uses.

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Distribution

Davallia heterophylla is an epiphyte; growing on trees in forests (Lindsay and Middleton 2012). Its range is widespread; it is found in the Nicobar Islands, southern Vietnam, Cambodia, peninsular Thailand and Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines including Palawan, much of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Palau, Micronesia, Guam and Rota Island, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, American Samoa, Niue, and Tonga (Hassler and Schmitt 2019).

Status

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References

Hassler, M., and Schmitt, B. 2019. Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World. [accessed 2019 Jun 7]. https://worldplants.webarchiv.kit.edu/ferns/

Lindsay, S. and Middleton, D. J. 2012. Ferns of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/thaiferns/.

Description
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