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Perennials, Tropicals, Ferns > Angiopteris > Angiopteris evecta > Angiopteris evecta

Angiopteris evecta


Giant Fern, Mule's-foot Fern, Dermarm (Palau), Madagascar Tree Fern




Origin:  Woodland fern from Japan to Australia and Madagascar.
Family
Marattiaceae
Genus
Angiopteris
Species
evecta
Category
Perennials, Tropicals, Ferns
Synonyms
Polypodium evectum (George Forster in 1786), and Angiopteris elongata
Canadian Hardiness Zone
Requires cold seasons protection under glass.
Temperature (°C)
19 - 27
Temperature (°F)
66 - 80
Height
2 - 4 m (including leaves)
Spread
2 - 3 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
General Description
Angiopteris evecta is a large fern, with a "stem" (rhizome) up to 1 m tall, and leaves up to 3 m+ long and 2 m wide.
Cultivation
Best grown in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil.
Growth
Fast
ID Characteristic
Angiopteris evecta establishes dense stands that dramatically alter ecosystems by displacing and outshading native species. It has established abundant, invasive populations in Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Jamaica that threaten native plants as well as general biodiversity and may pose a serious threat to native plant diversity in the tropics. Angiopsteris evecta is thought especially problematic on islands that house many endemics and that have patchy, relatively disturbed forests" (Christenhusz & Toivonen, 2008; Christenhusz, pers. comm., 2010). 
Habitat
Angiopteris evecta inhabits tropical environments. This fern appears able to naturalize freely in wet valleys.
Bark/Stem Description
A short, thick stem.
Leaf Description
Huge segmented fronds (bipinnate) up to about 3 metres long. 
Flower Description
A. evecta takes many years before it is capable of producing spores. Adult leaves are covered in thousands of sporangia, each of which produces 1,440 spores.
Fruit Description
The oval clusters of spore bearing cases (sporangia) are in two rows on the under surfaces of leaflets.
Notable Specimens
Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida, United States of America.
Propagation
Difficult to propagate by spores, the stipules from the frond base can be removed and will form new plants in a year.
Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer)
Angiopteris evecta is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental fern. Also, its starchy rhizomes are sometimes eaten or used to perfume coconut oil.
References
Global Invasive Species Database (2019) Species profile: Angiopteris evecta. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1550 on 12-05-2019.
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