Campyloneurum phyllitidis
Encyclopedia
Campyloneurum phyllitidis, commonly known as the long strap fern, is a species of fern in the Polypodiaceae
family. It is an epiphyte, growing on other plants; generally the fern is found growing in the canopies of trees. It has a relatively large rhizome
from which many fine rootlets covered in dark reddish-brown scales grow. Its leaves are simple in shape, hairless, 45–100 cm (17.7–39.4 in) long and 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) wide. The sori are round and small, occurring in on both sides of lateral veins of the leaves.
, Panama and is known to grow on Platypodium elegans
, Ceiba pentandra, Tabebuia guayacan, Anacardium excelsum, Socratea exorrhiza
, Marila laxiflora and Perebea xanthochyma.
); the fern was described by an author of the time, Shirley Hibberd, as being "very distinct" and that it formed a "striking object when grown well".
Polypodiaceae
Polypodiaceae is a family of polypod ferns, which includes more than 60 genera divided into several tribes and containing around 1,000 species. Nearly all are epiphytes, but some are terrestrial.-Description:...
family. It is an epiphyte, growing on other plants; generally the fern is found growing in the canopies of trees. It has a relatively large rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
from which many fine rootlets covered in dark reddish-brown scales grow. Its leaves are simple in shape, hairless, 45–100 cm (17.7–39.4 in) long and 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) wide. The sori are round and small, occurring in on both sides of lateral veins of the leaves.
Distribution
Campyloneurum phyllitidis is found in Central and South America, from Mexico in the North to Peru in the South and including Panama, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and the West Indies. It is also present in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. The fern is common on Barro Colorado IslandBarro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
, Panama and is known to grow on Platypodium elegans
Platypodium elegans
Platypodium elegans or the graceful platypodium is a large leguminous tree found in the Neotropics that forms part of the forest canopy. It was first described by Julius Rudolph Theodor Vogel in 1837 and is the type species of the genus. The tree has been known to grow up to 30 metres in...
, Ceiba pentandra, Tabebuia guayacan, Anacardium excelsum, Socratea exorrhiza
Socratea exorrhiza
Socratea exorrhiza, the Walking Palm or Cashapona, is a palm native to rainforests in tropical Central and South America. It can grow to 25 meters in height, with a stem diameter of up to 17 cm. It has unusual stilt roots, the function of which has been debated. Many species of epiphyte have...
, Marila laxiflora and Perebea xanthochyma.
Uses
Campyloneurum phyllitidis can be cultivated, and is the most common species of Campyloneurum found in cultivation. The fern grows well in well-drained soil under medium levels of light. It needs to be protected from slugs and snails. Campyloneurum phyllitidis was grown in the UK during the Victorian era, when ferns were particularly popular (the phenomenon known as PteridomaniaPteridomania
Pteridomania or Fern-Fever was a craze for ferns. Victorian decorative arts presented the fern motif in pottery, glass, metal, textiles, wood, printed paper, and sculpture, with ferns "appearing on everything from christening presents to gravestones and memorials."-Description:Pteridomania, meaning...
); the fern was described by an author of the time, Shirley Hibberd, as being "very distinct" and that it formed a "striking object when grown well".