Pitted wart fern
- An epiphyte that grows on other plants.
Pitted wart fern is an epiphyte, meaning a plant that grows on other plants, often on branches of trees. It does not parasitize the plant it grows upon, it is merely used as support to reach the light.
Like other ferns, the pitted wart fern reproduces via small spores that are dispersed by the wind. If you look at the lower side of a frond, you can see a lot of small spots. These are groups of very small sporangia, the structures wherein the spores are formed.
Pitted wart fern is a common houseplant and there are many varieties for sale.
Facts:
- Greenhouse location: The Mountain Forest House
- Danish name: Prikbladet vortebregne
- Latin name: Microsorum punctatum
- Family: Fern family / Polypodiaceae
- Natural habitat: Tropical Africa and Asia