Ceratopteris thalictroides

{{Speciesbox

| image =Starr-130322-3780-Ceratopteris thalictroides-habit-Hanalei NWR-Kauai (25091406442).jpg

| image_caption = Ceratopteris thalictroides, showing typical above-water foliage

| image2= 7744-Ceratopteris cornuta-Akvárium-10.15.jpg

| image2_caption = Ceratopteris thalictroides in an aquarium, showing needle-like submerged foliage

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Irudayaraj, V. |author2=Lansdown, R.V. |year=2019 |title=Ceratopteris thalictroides |page=e.T168862A84005839 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T168862A84005839.en}}

| genus = Ceratopteris

| species = thalictroides

| authority = (L.) Brongn.

}}

Ceratopteris thalictroides is a fern species belonging to the genus Ceratopteris, one of only two genera of the subfamily Parkerioideae of the family Pteridaceae.

Common names

Ceratopteris thalictroides is commonly known as water sprite, Indian fern, water fern, oriental waterfern, and water hornfern. In the Philippines, it is called pakung-sungay (literally "antler fern" or "horn fern").{{Cite journal|last=Amoroso|first=Victor|date=2007|title=Pteridophyte and gymnosperm diversity in Musuan, Bukidnon|url=http://asbp.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/906-3028-2-PB.pdf|journal=Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology|volume=1|pages=1–14|access-date=2021-07-01|archive-date=2019-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712125746/http://asbp.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/906-3028-2-PB.pdf|url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last=Grubben |first=G. J. H. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57724930 |title=Vegetables |date=2004 |publisher=Backhuys |isbn=90-5782-147-8 |series=Plant Resources of Tropical Africa |location=Wageningen, Netherlands |pages=173–175 |oclc=57724930 |access-date=2021-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626184105/https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57724930 |archive-date=2020-06-26 |url-status=live}}

Distribution

Ceratopteris thalictroides is widespread across the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, occurring as far north as Japan and as far south as western Australia.{{cite web | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17064190-1 | title=Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science }}

Description

Rooted in mud, Ceratopteris thalictroides plants vary in size and appearance. The stipes of mature plants are 3–15 mm in diameter, spongy, and air-filled with {{Convert|4-60|cm|in|sp=us}} long including its stipe.

Pale green, brown when matured, fertile fronds are {{Convert|15-100|cm|in|sp=us}} or more, including the stipe, to {{Convert|40|cm|in|sp=us}} long. Proliferous or dormant buds with their overlapping dark scales present in the axils of fertile pinnae are winged. Pinnae are deeply incised with segments 2–15 mm x 10–30 mm and the fertile segments 1–2 mm x 10–80 mm.[http://www.anbg.gov.au/fern/aquatic/parkeriaceae.html Ceratopteris thalictroides] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105223717/http://www.anbg.gov.au/fern/aquatic/parkeriaceae.html|date=2007-11-05}} in Australian National Herbarium

In the north type and the third type, the count of chromosomes is 2n=126 while in the south type its 2n=154, making it separate from species.{{Cite journal|last1=Liao|first1=Yi-Ying|last2=Yang|first2=Xing-Yu|last3=Motley|first3=Timothy J.|last4=Chen|first4=Jin-Ming|last5=Wang|first5=Qing-Feng|date=2011-07-12|title=Phylogeographic analysis reveals two cryptic species of the endangered fern Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn. (Parkeriaceae) in China|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10592-011-0236-7|journal=Conservation Genetics|volume=12|issue=5|pages=1357–1365|doi=10.1007/s10592-011-0236-7|bibcode=2011ConG...12.1357L |s2cid=23704467 |issn=1566-0621|access-date=2021-07-01|archive-date=2021-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701042754/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10592-011-0236-7|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}

Ecology

Ceratopteris thalictroides is often found near stagnant water or in still pockets along slow flowing rivers in swampy areas, swamp forests, sago swamps, marshes, natural and man-made ponds. The plant thrives in full sun to moderate shade, from sea level to {{Convert|1300|m|ft|sp=us}} in elevation, but mostly less than {{Convert|500|m|ft|sp=us}} in elevation. C. thalictroides is often massed on or around logs or other floating vegetation. The plant was once recorded in a fresh-water mangrove (Sonneratia) growing among the finger-like pneumatophores. In some areas, Ceratopteris exhibits a degree of seasonality, reaching maturity and shedding spores during the dry season; plants have lost nearly all sterile fronds by this stage. The species has been reported to functionally be an annual, repopulating from spores the next season, but it is clearly of indefinite lifespan in cultivation.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The plant reaches full maturity in 29 days.{{cite book | last= Camus |first= Josephine M. | date= | title= A World of Ferns | location= London | publisher= Natural History Museum Publications | page= 54-56 }}

Uses

=Culinary=

Fronds are cooked and eaten as a vegetable in Madagascar, New Guinea{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}, and Vietnam,{{ cite book | first1=Yoshitaka | last1=Tanaka | first2=Nguyen | last2=Van Ke | date=2007 | title=Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam: The Bountiful Garden | publisher=Thailand: Orchid Press | isbn=978-9745240896 | page=108}} and raw as a salad in Micronesia.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}. It has been used similarly to watercress. In Malaysia and Japan, uncurled fronds have been used in salads. However, the plant is believed to contain carcinogenic chemicals.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}}

=Other=

C. thalictroides is widely used as an aquarium plant, and is prized for its versatility, being used both as a floating plant and a plant that can be rooted in the substrate.{{Cite book|last=James|first=Barry|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39143686|title=A fishkeeper's guide to aquarium plants|date=1997|publisher=Tetra Press|isbn=1-56465-173-8|edition=Rev|location=Blacksburg, VA|oclc=39143686|access-date=2021-07-01|archive-date=2021-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701042726/https://www.worldcat.org/title/fishkeepers-guide-to-aquarium-plants/oclc/39143686|url-status=live}}

The plant can be used as manure for rice.

C. thalictroides is used medicinally as a poultice for dermatological issues in Malaysia and the Philippines. In China, it's applied to wounds to stop bleeding.

In the Sepik region of New Guinea, fronds are used as a personal decoration.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Cultivation

It grows best in soil with a pH reading of 5-9 and in very high amounts of light. It usually grows quickly.

C. thalictroides can benefit (like all aquatic plants) from the addition of CO₂. The plant's reproductive technique is similar to other ferns. Small adventitious plantlets are grown on the mother plant and are then released when ready.

It can provide useful shade to shyer fish and small fry. The dense roots are said to take nutrients out of the water, helping to prevent the growth of algae.

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{citation |author=PPG I |year=2016 |title=A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns |journal=Journal of Systematics and Evolution |volume=54 |issue=6 |pages=563–603 |doi=10.1111/jse.12229|s2cid=39980610 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2016JSyEv..54..563. }}

}}

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070804060320/http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Ceratopteris+thalictroides&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on Ceratopteris thalictroides]
[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200003558 Flora of North America: Ceratopteris thalictroides]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070204122202/http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/mcplnt1o.html Nonindigenous Aquatic Plants: Ceratopteris thalictroides] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20070205094658/http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/welcome.html UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20071105223717/http://www.anbg.gov.au/fern/aquatic/parkeriaceae.html Australian National Herbarium]
[http://www.tropica.dk/productcard_1.asp?id=005A Tropica]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150202102245/http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant,%20Watersprite.htm How to Grow and Decorate with Watersprite]