''Adiantum philippense,'' (''Goyali Lota, Kalijhant'' in
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
: গয়ালী লতা, ''Hamsapadi, Kitamata, Tripadika'' in
Sanskrit, ''Jarigida'' in
Kannada, ''Hamsapadi'' in
Hindi ), also known as walking maidenhair fern, or black maidenhair, is a species of maidenhair fern (''
Adiantum
''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place it in its own family, Adiantaceae. The genus name comes from Greek, meaning "un ...
'') that is widely distributed through the southern hemisphere, notably
Asia,
Africa, and
Madagascar.
Taxonomy
The species was named by
Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It was
lectotypified by
R.E.G. Pichi-Sermolli in 1957 based on an illustration by
James Petiver. The identifiability of this illustration was disputed, leading some authorities to deprecate ''A. philippense'' as a ''nomen dubium'' and use the next available name for the taxon, ''Adiantum lunulatum''
Burm.f.. Burman conferred this specific epithet based on its half-moon shaped
pinnae. However, Christopher Fraser-Jenkins located the original material and drawing of the lectotype sent to Petiver by
Georg Joseph Kamel in the
Sloane Herbarium, making clear the application of the name ''A. philippense''.
Description
''Adiantum philippense'' grows in a creeping or semi-erect position. Its
fronds are arched and tufted. The fern is notably overall very glabrous and smooth. It grows on streambanks, often on
rocks
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's ...
in
forests and
woodland.
Distribution
''Adiantum philippense'' can be found across south-east Asia. It inhabits tropical areas in
Bangladesh,
India,
Nepal,
Thailand, and
Cambodia.
Gallery
File: Maidenhair 556688555.jpeg, ''Adiantum philippense'' in Bangladesh
File: Maidenhair 9998556999.jpeg, Maidenhair on shaded rocky bricks in Bangladesh
File:The ferns of southern India. Being descriptions and plates of the ferns of the Madras presidency (page 126 crop).jpg,
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10905215
philippense
Flora of tropical Asia
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus