EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

A Massive Drooping Fern

Hanging Spleenwort (Asplenium flaccidum), Family Aspleniaceae
Hamurana Springs Nature Reserve, Lake Rotorua, New Zealand

Explanation:  In moist forests of the world, ferns often occur as epiphytes, that is, that grow on other plants, especially tree branches and tree trunks.  But here is a rather staggering sight:  a massive "spleenwort" fern growing on a main tree branch.  Its weight alone is taxing the strength of the tree.

This fern is known variously as the hanging, drooping, or weeping spleenwort.  Found in New Zealand, Australia, and beyond in the Pacific, typically epiphytic on tree ferns.   

The hanging spleenwort is sold as an ornamental ... although this huge specimen would be a challenge to manage for any horticulturist.

 
So what is a "spleenwort?"  It is the name of the general group of ferns.  The word spleenwort may have derived from the belief that, because the sori -- the packets of spores -- that grow on the underside of the fronds (leaves) are shaped like a spleen, the plant would be useful for treating ailments of the spleen.  And the word "wort" is an ancient English term meaning "plant." 
  

   
The fronds of this fern hang loosely.
 

And what does the scientific name, Asplenium flaccidum, mean?  The genus name asplenium literally means "without a spleen;" a North American version of this species was thought to cure spleen diseases.  The specific epithet name flaccidum means, well, flaccid, weak, or limp, which is what the fronds of this fern exemplify.  

    
Acknowledgment:
     My thanks to colleague and friend Nicolas Meurisse of Scion (Crown Forest Research Institute), New Zealand for hosting me to Hamurana Springs Nature Reserve where I took this week's photos.  Nicolas is the fine model in the main photo at top of this page.