Stenochlaena tenuifolia

Botanical Description

African climbing fern is a large fern with a straggling and climbing rhizome that can be up to 20 metres long and 15mm in diameter; it can growing high up into the surrounding trees. The leathery leaves can be up to 180cm long, with pinnate sterile leaves up to 100cm long. The rather coarse, pinnate fronds are widely spaced and quickly cover large areas[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as a ground cover.