Pteridaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Acrostichum danaeifolium

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Acrostichum danaeifolium is a large, evergreen fern growing from an erect rhizome with fleshy roots; it forms a clump of erect fronds up to 3 metres tall[ 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. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. Acrostichum danaeifolium is commonly confused with Acrostichum aureum, and the limits of its distribution are not well-known. However, as it appears to have a wide distribution range and occurs in similar areas where Acrostichum aureum is found, it is presumably not under any threat. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeCoastal regions of tropical America from Argentina and Peru, north to Mexico and Florida and through the Caribbean

HabitatCoastal and lowland areas, growing in somewhat saline to freshwater swamps, canal and pond margins, commonly in sinkholes in hammocks, disturbed marl sites; at elevations up to 50 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].