Nephrolepis cordifolia

Yañez, A., Marquez, G. J., Berrueta, P. C. & García, R. A., 2021, An urban fern refugium: Municipal Ecological Reserve of Avellaneda (Eco Área) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Blumea 66 (3), pp. 227-235 : 230-231

Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C.Presl — Fig. 3b

Origin — Exotic to southern South America, naturalized in Argentina ( Yañez et al. 2020). It is a native species from Africa, Southeast Asia, Malesia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and probably Caribbean countries and northern South America.

Habitat & Ecology — Terrestrial.

Location within the reserve — It forms a dense population in exposed understory areas.

Observations — The population is growing associated with rubble of old buildings that belonged to the ancient inhabitants of the area. In this sense, its presence in the area could be related to its ornamental use in a domestic environment. Later it is possible that N. cordifolia has colonized the surrounding area thanks to its fast-growing rhizomes and the origin of new individuals through the formation of typical tubers of the species.

Illustration and morphological description reference — Arana (2016).

Studied specimen. ARGENTINA, Buenos Aires, Mun. Avellaneda, Reserva Ecológica Municipal de Avellaneda (Eco Área), Yañez et al. 478 (BA, LP), 18-IX-2018 .

Fig 3 Ferns from Eco Área of Municipal Ecological Reserve. a. Rumohra adiantiformis ; b. Nephrolepis cordifolia ; c. Adiantum raddianum ; d. Gastoniella chaerophylla ; e. Pteris tremula ; f. Microgramma mortoniana ; g. Pleopeltis minima ; h. Cyrtomium falcatum ; i. Cyclosorus interruptus (a: Yañez et al. 479; b: Yañez et al. 478; c: Yañez et al. 570; d: Yañez et al. 567; e: Yañez et al. 489; f: Yañez et al. 481; g: Yañez et al. 484; h: Yañez et al. 482; i: Yañez et al. 477; all BA). — Photos by Agustina Yañez.