Common name
English: Giant sword fern
German: Biseratenfarn
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae (2625)
Phylum: Pteridophyta (43)
Class: Polypodiopsida (35)
Order: Polypodiales (31)
Family: Dryopteridaceae (8)
Genus: Nephrolepis (1)
Epithet: biserrata (Sw.) Schott (1)
Synonyms: Aspidium acuminatum Willd., Aspidium acutum Schkuhr, Aspidium articulatum Sieb., Aspidium biserratum Sw., Aspidium ensifolium Schkuhr, Aspidium exaltatum Benth., Aspidium gibbosum Willd., Aspidium guineense Schumach., Aspidium hoffmannseggii Poir., Aspidium hoffmenseggii Poir., Aspidium mauritianum Desv., Aspidium nigropunctatum Spreng., Aspidium paraense Willd., Aspidium punctulatum Sw. (Poir.), Aspidium rufescens Kunze (Schrad.), Aspidium splendens Willd., Hypopeltis amygdalina Bory, Hypopeltis biserrata Bory (Sw.), Hypopeltis palmoides Bory, Lepidoneuron acuminatum Fée (Willd.), Lepidoneuron biserratum Fée (Sw.), Lepidoneuron punctulatum Fée (Poir.), Lepidoneuron rufescens Fée (Schrader), Nephrodium acuminatum C.Presl (Willd.), Nephrodium acutum C.Presl (Schkuhr), Nephrodium biserratum C.Presl (Sw.), Nephrodium gibbosum Gaud. (Willd.), Nephrodium guianense Desv., Nephrodium hoffmanseggii Desv. (Poir.), Nephrodium mauritianum Desv. (Desv.), Nephrodium palmoides Rich. (Bory), Nephrodium punctulatum Desv. (Poir.), Nephrodium rufescens Schrad., Nephrodium splendens Desv. (Willd.), Nephrodium timoriense Desv., Nephrolepis acuminata C.Presl (Willd.), Nephrolepis acuta C.Presl (Schkuhr), Nephrolepis arthropteroides G.Kunkel, Nephrolepis biserrata Bonap. (Poir.), Nephrolepis caudata Christ, Nephrolepis dayakorum Bonap., Nephrolepis depauperata De Vriese, Nephrolepis ensifolia C.Presl (Schkuhr), Nephrolepis exaltata Bak. (Sw.), Nephrolepis gibbosa C.Presl (Willd.), Nephrolepis hirsutula O.Kuntze (Schkuhr), Nephrolepis laurifolia Proctor (Christ), Nephrolepis macrophylla C.Presl, Nephrolepis mauritiana Moore (Desv.), Nephrolepis mollis Rosenst., Nephrolepis paraensis C.Presl (Willd.), Nephrolepis persicifolia Christ, Nephrolepis pilosula Alderw., Nephrolepis punctulata C.Presl (Poir.), Nephrolepis rufescens Wawra (Schrad.), Nephrolepis splendens C.Presl (Willd.), Nephrolepis subcordata C.Presl, Nephrolepis zollingeriana de Vriese, Polypodium integerrimum Vell., Polypodium nephrolepioides H.Christ (Spreng.), Polypodium neprolepioides Christ, Polypodium palmoides Bory, Polypodium punctulatum Poir., Polypodium splendens Willd., Polystichum acutum C.Presl (Schkuhr), Pteris signata Merr., Tectaria fraxinea Cav.
acuminata => long pointed
acuta => pointed, tapering to a point
biserrata => from Latin bi, twice and serratus, saw-like or serrated; ie. doubly serrated, referring to the leaves
caudata => tailed, with tail
exaltata => highest, most eminent
guineense => from Guinea (West-Africa)
laurifolia => laurel-leaved
macrophylla => large leaved
mauritiana => refers to ancient Mauritania
mauritianum => either referring to Mauritius (e.g. Nesocodon), or Mauretania (e.g. Malva), for Solanum uncertain
mollis => soft, tender, usually meaning pubescent like velvet
punctulatum => covered in small dots
rufescens => reddish
zollingeriana => in honor of Heinrich Zollinger (1818-1859), Swiss botanist working manily in Java
Characteristics
Climate: tropical
Habitat: mesophytic
Habit: herb