Haplopteris ensiformis, commonly known as the tape fern or shoestring fern, is a species of small fern native to tropical areas from eastern Africa and Madagascar, through south and southeast Asia, to Australia and islands of the Pacific. It grows on rocks and tree trunks in rainforest.
Description Haplopteris ensiformis is a small epiphytic or lithophytic that has short-creeping, rhizomes densely covered in scales and ginger hairs. The dark green fronds are clustered, linear and pendant, about wide and up to long. Newly emerging fronds are pale pink or red. Sori are produced in continuous lines just inside the margins on the underside of the fronds.
Distribution The species is native to the following regions as defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions: East Tropical Africa: Tanzania South Tropical Africa: Zimbabwe Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles China: China South-Central, Hainan Eastern Asia: Kazan-retto, Ogasawara-shoto, Taiwan Indian Subcontinent: India Indo-China: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam Malesia: Borneo, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Maluku, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra Papuasia: Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Islands Australia: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland Southwestern Pacific: Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu South-Central Pacific: Easter Islands, Marquesas, Tubuai Islands Northwestern Pacific: Caroline Islands, Marianas, Marshall Islands
Habit and habitat It grows on tree trunks, logs, rock faces and boulders in rainforest. It also occurs in other wet forest types such as the wet sclerophyll forests of eastern Australia.
Conservation The conservation status of this plant varies across its distribution. In Zimbabwe it is considered to be endangered, and in the Northern Territory it is listed as near threatened, while in Queensland and Singapore it has least concern status. , it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
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References
External links
Map of recorded occurrences of this species at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Observations of this species on iNaturalist Images of this species on Flickriver.com