Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott, Lomariopsidaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Boston fern, Boston sword fern, common sword fern, sword fern

Hawaiian: kupukupu, ‘okupukupu

Spanish: helecho

Habit:  fern

Description:  "Rhizome short, ascending, emitting long slender stolons, paleate; stipites tufted. Stipes stout, 7-25 cm. x c. 3 mm., brown, sparingly paleate; rhachis stout, us. with ∞ ovate-attenuate brown paleae and hairs. Lamina oblong-lanceolate, subcoriac., 25-60-(90) x 10-15-(20) cm. Pinnae close-set, ∞, patent; lowest reduced, us. sterile, up to 2 cm. x 1 cm., oblong, obtuse. Mid-pinnae up to 7 cm. x 15 mm., us. fertile, oblong to lanceolate-oblong, acute or acuminate to obtuse, auriculate at base; margins crenulate-dentate; veinlets close-set, forking near tips; uppermost pinnae rather abruptly diminishing to acute apex. Sori submarginal, globose, hardly exceeding 1 mm. in diameter, up to 70 per pinna. Indusium not completely covering sorus, firm, reniform"  (Allan, 1982; 62).

"Nephrolepis exaltata is usually confused with N . cordifolia when sterile; the latter species can be distinguished by its distinctly bicolored, adaxial rachis scales. These bicolored scales will distinguish N . cordifolia from all of the other species, even in the absence of other key features"  (Flora of North America online).

Description from Flora of North America online.

Habitat/ecology:  In the United States, "terrestrial or epiphytic in forested to open habitats, most often as an epiphyte; 0 m"  (Flora of North America online).

Propagation:  Spores and rhizomes.

Native range:  United States (Florida), Mexico, West Indies, French Guiana, Brazil; native range uncertain, widely cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 490-491, 536, 555) "Afortunadamente está poco presente en los jardines del pueblo de San Juan Bautista, es una especie que debe ser vigilada muy de cerca y que probablemente seria mejor suprimir antes que se escape".
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 4)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	native	St. John, Harold (1988) (p. 6) Voucher cited: St. John 11356 (BISH)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: P. Sánchez-Baracaldo 143 (PAP) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Assez communément cultivée. Voucher cited: J. Florence 2767 (PAP) Cultivée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Cultivée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 3)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	native	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005) subsp. hawaiiensis W. H. Wagner
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	native	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 41)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	native	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005) subsp. hawaiiensis W. H. Wagner
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	native	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005) subsp. hawaiiensis W. H. Wagner
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	native	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005) subsp. hawaiiensis W. H. Wagner
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	native	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005) subsp. hawaiiensis W. H. Wagner
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	native	Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. (2005) subsp. hawaiiensis W. H. Wagner
Kiribati Kiribati	Kiribati (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Sunday Island	native	Allan, H. H. (1982) (p. 62)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 94)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2011) Cultivated, possible naturalized.
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011) Arizona, Louisiana, Texas
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Fact sheet from the University of Florida (PDF format).

Additional online information about Nephrolepis exaltata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Nephrolepis exaltata as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Nephrolepis exaltata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Allan, H. H. 1982. Flora of New Zealand, vol. I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. .

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy. 2010. Checklist of the plants of Kosrae. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 26 pp.

McCormack, Gerald. 2011. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga.

National Herbarium of New South Wales. 2011. PlantNet: New South Wales Flora online. The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens Trust Version 2.0. Online resource.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 37:1-69. .

St. John, Harold. 1988. Census of the Flora of the Gambier Islands, Polynesia. Pacific Plant Studies 43. Honolulu, Hawaii. 34 pp. [Privately published].

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Wagner, W. L./Herbst, D. R./Lorence, D. H. 2005. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands website (online resource).