Ophioderma pendulum

Ophioglossaceae

Ophioderma pendulum (L.) C.Presl

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/115171

Plants epiphytic. Rhizome shortly creeping, often knotting, fleshy. Fronds 1–6-clustered, pendulous, flaccid, fleshy. Common stipe and sterile lamina forming a continuous linear flattened simple blade or occasionally forked once to several times distally, 25–200 cm long, 1–3 cm wide; venation of long narrow areoles, without included free veinlets. Sporophore 1–31 cm long, 8–16 mm wide, on a terete 2.5–5 cm long stipe, fused to 1 face of the sterile lamina and extending down for some distance; sporangia reaching to the apex.

E Australia from Torres Strait to central coast of NSW. Also widespread in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Palaeotropics.

Epiphytic, commonly from other epiphytes or hollows in trees in vine forest. In NE QLD it is a common inhabitant of Platycerium and Asplenium nests from coastal beach scrubs to upper-montane rainforest.

Readily cultivated if planted in the base of a nest-fern in a tropical or subtropical garden or fernery. Slow to establish but very long lived growing into large specimens.