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Lecanopteris mirabilis

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Photo from Charles Alford Plants.


My humble plant.


The leaves from Wistuba.com.

Author: Edwin Bingham Copeland, 1929
Family:  POLYPODIACEAE
Origin:  Papua New Guinea, Maluku, Sulawesi; Indonesia,
Soil:  Epiphyte
Water:  Medium
Sun:  Medium
Thickness:  25 Centimetres
Height:  60 Centimetres
Flower:  Green Spores
Propagate:  Spores/Rhizomes
Names:  Antfern, Ant Fern
Synonyms:  Might be: Myrmecopteris mirabilis, Pic. Serm. 1977.
Polypodium imbricatum,
G. Karst. 1895
Polypodium mirabile,
C. Chr. 1906.
Myrmecophila ulotheca,
Ching.
Myrmecopteris mirabilis,
Pic.Serm.
Myrmecopteris ulotheca,
Pic.Serm.
Pleopeltis imbricata,
Alderw.
Polypodium mirabile,
C.Chr.
Polypodium ulotheca,
Brause.

This member of the Polypodiaceae family was given this name by Edwin Bingham Copeland in 1929. It is found in Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It grows in the trees with some water and some sun. The massive rhizomes will grow up to 25 centimetres in diameter, and the leaves will grow up to 60 centimetres.

The genera name after some Lecan, but I fail to figure which one, or perhaps Greek lekane; 'bowl', and Latin pteris; 'fern'. The genera name Lecanopteris was introduced by Caspar Georg Reinwardt published in Flora 8, 1825. The species name means 'wonderful' or 'marvellous'.