Family: Polypodiaceae
Author: (Sw.) Schott
Bibliography: Gen. Fil. ad t. 3 (1834)
Year: 1834
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Nephrolepis
Vegetable: False
Observations: Tropics & Subtropics
Description
The Giant Sword Fern, scientifically known as Nephrolepis biserrata, is a striking and robust member of the Polypodiaceae family. This lush fern is renowned for its graceful arching fronds that can reach impressive lengths, adding a vibrant and exotic touch to any garden or indoor plant collection.
Native to the tropics and subtropics, Nephrolepis biserrata thrives in warm, humid environments, making it a popular choice for regions with such climates. The fern’s natural habitat spans a diverse range of locations, from the dense, shaded forests of its native regions to cultivated gardens worldwide.
One of the most distinctive features of the Giant Sword Fern is its long, sword-shaped fronds, which can grow to several feet in length. These fronds are characterized by their finely toothed, or biserrate, edges—an attribute that has earned the plant its specific epithet, biserrata. Each frond is composed of numerous leaflets, arranged in a symmetrical and overlapping pattern, giving the fern a lush and full appearance.
Nephrolepis biserrata was documented in the early 19th century, with its description published in “Gen. Fil. ad t. 3 (1834)” by the botanist Schott. Over the years, the fern has become a favored ornamental plant due to its aesthetic appeal and relatively low maintenance requirements.
For optimal growth, the Giant Sword Fern prefers shaded to partially shaded areas with well-draining, moist soil. While it can tolerate a range of light conditions, direct sunlight can cause the fronds to scorch or wilt. Regular watering and occasional misting help maintain the high humidity conditions that this fern favors. Additionally, it benefits from periodic feeding with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season.
In landscape design, Nephrolepis biserrata is often used to create dramatic foliage displays in shaded garden beds, under tree canopies, or as a ground cover in tropical-themed landscapes. Indoors, it makes an excellent addition to fern collections or as a standalone statement plant, capable of transforming any space into a verdant, inviting haven.
Despite its tropical origins, the Giant Sword Fern is remarkably adaptable and has been successfully cultivated beyond its native range, provided that the environmental conditions mimic its natural habitat. Whether grown as an outdoor plant in suitable climates or as a cherished indoor specimen, Nephrolepis biserrata continues to captivate plant enthusiasts with its elegant fronds and lush greenery.
Common Names
Lin: bonkenkele
Eng: giant sword fern, giant swordfern
Lub: luasinia
En: Giant sword fern, Giant swordfern
Fr: Fougère rivière
Ln: Bonkenkele
Lu: Luasinia
Synonyms
- Nephrolepis arthropteroides (G.Kunkel)
- Nephrolepis dayakorum (Bonap.)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. subferruginea (Hook.)
- Nephrodium bidentatum (C.Presl)
- Hypopeltis palmoides (Bory)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. furcans ((T.Moore) L.H.Bailey)
- Lepidoneuron biauritum ((C.Presl) Fée)
- Nephrolepis rufescens ((Wawra) Wawra)
- Nephrodium acuminatum ((Willd.) C.Presl)
- Nephrolepis mauritiana (T.Moore)
- Polystichum acutum (C.Presl)
- Nephrolepis hirsutula var. rufescens ((Wawra) Bonap.)
- Nephrolepis bidentata ((C.Presl) C.Presl)
- Nephrodium palmoides (Rich.)
- Pteris signata (Blanco)
- Nephrolepis punctulata f. genuina (Hieron.)
- Lepidoneuron biserratum ((Sw.) Fée)
- Nephrolepis punctulata ((Poir.) C.Presl)
- Aspidium guineense (Schumach.)
- Aspidium ensifolium (Schkuhr)
- Nephrodium biserratum ((Sw.) C.Presl)
- Nephrolepis persicifolia (Christ)
- Polypodium nephrolepioides (Christ)
- Lepidoneuron acuminatum ((Willd.) Fée)
- Aspidium exaltatum var. longipinna (Benth.)
- Nephrodium guianense (Desv.)
- Nephrolepis splendens ((Willd.) C.Presl)
- Nephrolepis falcata f. furcans ((T.Moore) Proctor)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. glandulosa (Kuhn)
- Aspidium biserratum var. furcans ((T.Moore) Farw.)
- Nephrolepis acuta ((Schkuhr) C.Presl)
- Polypodium signatum ((Blanco) Blanco)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. subintegrifolia (Domin)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. digitiformis (G.Kunkel)
- Aspidium hoffmannseggii (Poir.)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. glabrata (Domin)
- Nephrolepis hirsutula var. biserrata ((Sw.) Kuntze)
- Polypodium integerrimum (Vell.)
- Hypopeltis biserrata ((Sw.) Bory)
- Nephrolepis biserrata subsp. punctulatum ((Poir.) Bonap.)
- Lepidoneuron rufescens ((Wawra) Fée)
- Nephrolepis ensifolia ((Schkuhr) C.Presl)
- Tectaria fraxinea (Cav.)
- Aspidium biserratum (Sw.)
- Nephrolepis caudata (Christ)
- Aspidium paraense (Willd.)
- Nephrolepis subcordata (C.Presl)
- Nephrodium gibbosum ((Willd.) Gaudich.)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. auriculata (Ching)
- Nephrolepis platyotis (Kunze)
- Aspidium gibbosum (Willd.)
- Nephrodium timoriense (Desv.)
- Nephrodium hoffmanseggii (Desv.)
- Nephrolepis acuta var. laurifolia (Christ)
- Nephrolepis davallioides var. furcans (T.Moore)
- Nephrolepis pilosula (Alderw.)
- Nephrolepis punctulata var. rufescens ((Schrad.) Kunze)
- Nephrolepis exaltata var. biserrata ((Sw.) Baker)
- Lepidoneuron punctulatum ((Poir.) Fée)
- Nephrolepis depauperata (de Vriese)
- Aspidium punctulatum ((Poir.) Sw.)
- Nephrolepis laurifolia ((Christ) Proctor)
- Nephrolepis paraensis ((Willd.) C.Presl)
- Lepidoneuron bidentatum ((C.Presl) Fée)
- Nephrolepis gibbosa ((Willd.) C.Presl)
- Aspidium bidentatum ((C.Presl) Spreng.)
- Nephrolepis biaurita (C.Presl)
- Nephrolepis macrophylla (C.Presl)
- Polypodium punctulatum var. hirsutum (Mett.)
- Aspidium biserratum var. paraense (Farw.)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. mauritiana ((Desv.) Kuhn)
- Aspidium nigropunctatum (Spreng.)
- Nephrolepis mollis (Rosenst.)
- Polypodium palmoides (Bory)
- Nephrolepis zollingeriana (de Vriese)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. normalis (Domin)
- Nephrolepis hirsutula var. acuta ((Schkuhr) Kuntze)
- Polypodium flagelliferum (Roxb.)
- Hypopeltis amygdalina (Bory)
- Nephrolepis biserrata var. rufescens ((Schrad.) Luetzelb.)
- Nephrolepis hirsutula var. ensifolia ((Schkuhr) Kuntze)
- Nephrolepis paludosa ((Raddi) Sehnem)
- Nephrolepis acuminata ((Willd.) C.Presl)
Distribution
- Andaman Is. (native)
- Angola (native)
- Argentina Northeast (native)
- Assam (native)
- Bangladesh (native)
- Bismarck Archipelago (native)
- Bolivia (native)
- Borneo (native)
- Brazil North (native)
- Brazil Northeast (native)
- Brazil South (native)
- Brazil Southeast (native)
- Brazil West-Central (native)
- Burkina (native)
- Cambodia (native)
- Cameroon (native)
- Caroline Is. (native)
- Cayman Is. (native)
- Central African Repu (native)
- Central American Pac (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Christmas I. (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Comoros (native)
- Cook Is. (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- Cuba (native)
- Dominican Republic (native)
- East Himalaya (native)
- Ecuador (native)
- El Salvador (native)
- Equatorial Guinea (native)
- Ethiopia (native)
- Fiji (native)
- Florida (native)
- French Guiana (native)
- Gabon (native)
- Galápagos (native)
- Ghana (native)
- Guatemala (native)
- Guinea (native)
- Gulf of Guinea Is. (native)
- Guyana (native)
- Hainan (native)
- Honduras (native)
- India (native)
- Ivory Coast (native)
- Jamaica (native)
- Jawa (native)
- Kenya (native)
- KwaZulu-Natal (native)
- Laos (native)
- Leeward Is. (native)
- Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
- Liberia (native)
- Louisiana (native)
- Madagascar (native)
- Malaya (native)
- Marianas (native)
- Marquesas (native)
- Marshall Is. (native)
- Mauritius (native)
- Mexico Central (native)
- Mexico Gulf (native)
- Mexico Northeast (native)
- Mexico Southeast (native)
- Mexico Southwest (native)
- Mozambique (native)
- Myanmar (native)
- Nansei-shoto (native)
- Netherlands Antilles (native)
- New Caledonia (native)
- New Guinea (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- Nicobar Is. (native)
- Nigeria (native)
- Niue (native)
- Northern Provinces (native)
- Northern Territory (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Peru (native)
- Philippines (native)
- Pitcairn Is. (native)
- Puerto Rico (native)
- Queensland (native)
- Réunion (native)
- Samoa (native)
- Senegal (native)
- Seychelles (native)
- Sierra Leone (native)
- Society Is. (native)
- Solomon Is. (native)
- South China Sea (native)
- Sri Lanka (native)
- Sudan (native)
- Sulawesi (native)
- Sumatera (native)
- Suriname (native)
- Taiwan (native)
- Tanzania (native)
- Thailand (native)
- Togo (native)
- Tonga (native)
- Tuamotu (native)
- Tubuai Is. (native)
- Uganda (native)
- Vanuatu (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Venezuelan Antilles (native)
- Vietnam (native)
- Western Australia (native)
- Windward Is. (native)
- Zambia (native)
- Zaïre (native)
- Zimbabwe (native)
- Pakistan (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken Dec 8, 2002 by Aicha MERABET (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 8, 2021 by Rodríguez Abraham (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 13, 2022 by Leila Almeida (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 13, 2019 by Kevin KPR (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 7, 2022 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Aug 11, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Sylvain PIRY (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2012 by S. Dufour-Kowalski (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 10, 2021 by Kasia rutkowska (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 1, 2016 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 31, 2022 by frias frias (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Nov 25, 2012 by E. Mouysset (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 25, 2012 by E. Mouysset (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 25, 2012 by E. Mouysset (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 25, 2012 by E. Mouysset (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 28, 2022 by GERALDO NASCIMENTO (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Aug 8, 2021 by Marzanna Bug (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 13, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Sylvain PIRY (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 13, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Sylvain PIRY (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Nov 24, 2012 by H. Goëau (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2012 by H. Goëau (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2012 by H. Goëau (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2012 by S. Dufour-Kowalski (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 13, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Sylvain PIRY (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17160710-1)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2650936)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott)
Specifications
Growth habit: Forb/herb