Ceratopteris thalictroides
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Safety & Hazards
Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[1]. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[2].
Cultivation Details
A plant of the lowland tropics. It prefers a temperature in the range 20 - 22°c[1]. Plants succeed in full sun to moderate shade, and in the wild are sometimes massed on or around logs or other floating vegetation[3]. They can be grown in water depths up to 30cm, or can be allowed to float on the water[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5[1]. Swamp fern has a very short life cycle. The whole cycle from spore to spore can be completed in less than 30 days[3]. The plant is very variable in form[3]. If grown under water, as in aquariums, the lamina of the submersed (sterile) leaves are finely 3 - 4-pinnate, with ultimate lobes linear[3]. Ceratopteris thalictroides and especially also Ceratopteris richardii, serve as model plants in developmental biology and molecular research. They are useful for research because they have independent haploid and diploid life phases, a short life cycle, a simple genetic system, and reproduce by single-celled haploid spores[3].
Propagation
Spores - Bulbils growing on the leaves. Any part of the leaf, if left floating in the water, will give rise to new plantlets[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ceratopteris+thalictroides>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest. — Schofield. J. J. · Alaska Northwest Books; Alaska · 2003 · ISBN 0882403699 ↩︎A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
- [3]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [4]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
- [5]The Useful Plants of the Island of Guam — Safford W.E. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1905 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A very comprehensive, if rather dated, guide to the plants of Guam. It can be downloaded from the Internet.