Flora Fauna Web - Plant Detail - Acrostichum aureum L.

Record Info

Life Stage & Characteristics

Plant Division :
Ferns & Allies (Non-Seed Vascular Plants) (Fern)

Plant Growth Form :
Shrub (Herbaceous)

Lifespan (in Singapore) :
Perennial

Mode of Nutrition :
Autotrophic

Plant Shape :
Fountain (Palm-like)

Maximum Height :
1 m to 3 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution :
Old & New World Tropics

Native Habitat :
Aquatic (Brackish Pond / Lake / River), Shoreline (Mangrove Forest)

Preferred Climate Zone :
Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Local Conservation Status :
Native to Singapore (Common)

Description & Ethnobotany

Plant Morphology :
Growth Form: It is a mangrove fern, growing up to 3 m tall, and thrives well under full sun. The stem (rhizome) of this species is stout, erect, and covered with relatively large scales that are about 4 by 1.8 cm.
Foliage: Dark green, erect fronds are composed of 24 - 30 pinnae (leaflet-like structure) in alternate arrangement (1 - 4 m long, 0.12 - 0.5 m wide). The petiole of the frond (known as the stipe) is usually about 1 m long. The 5 - 8 pairs of pinnae near the tip are fertile with their underside covered in reddish brown sporangia (except the midrib), while the remaining pinnae are infertile. The pinnae are oblong with a blunt tip (8 - 50 cm long, 1 - 7 cm wide) and bright red when immature.
Stems: Fibrous rhizomes (underground, horizontal stems) have a scaly surface.
Reproductive Parts (non-flowering plant): The pinnae which bear the sporangia are restricted to the upper parts of a frond at varying proportions. The sporangia and the sterile hairs (paraphyses) among them will cover the whole lower surface of the pinnae, giving it a dark brown appearance. Its spores are dispersed by wind.

Habitat :
It grows along the landward side mangrove forests because it is less tolerant of frequent seawater inundation. It sometimes grows near the sea in the absence of mangrove forests. It occurs locally in Pulau Ubin (including Chek Jawa), and many other coastal sites.

Similar :
The pinnae of Acrostichum aureum have blunt tips, while those of Acrostichum speciosum have pointed tips.

Associated Fauna :
Typically colonizes mud lobster mounds which are more elevated and less likely to be flooded.

Cultivation :
It can be propagated by spores.

Etymology :
Greek akros, top; Greek stichos, order, referring to the lines on the lower surface of the leaves; Latin aureum, golden yellow, referring to the golden hue of the younger leaflets

Ethnobotanical Uses :
Edible Plant Parts (Edible Leaves)
Food (Fruit & Vegetable: The young leaves are consumed as a vegetable.)
Medicinal (Fronds are shredded or crushed and applied as a poultice on wounds, boils or ulcers. In India, the fronds are used to treat snake bites.)
[Others]: In Vietnam, the dried fronds are used as material for roofing.

Landscaping Features

Landscaping :
It is suitable as a marsh plant for the edges of ponds or waterlogged areas.

Desirable Plant Features :
Ornamental Foliage

Plant & Rootzone Preference/Tolerance :
Waterlogged Soils (Drains Site), Saline Soils / Salt Spray, Easy to Grow

Landscape Uses :
Parks & Gardens, Coastal, Beachfront / Shoreline, Riverine, Pond / Lake / River, Marsh / Bog

Thematic Landscaping :
Marsh Garden

Fauna, Pollination & Dispersal

Seed / Spore Dispersal :
Abiotic

Plant Care & Propagation

Light Preference :
Full Sun, Semi-Shade

Water Preference :
Lots of Water

Maintenance Requirements :
Low

Propagation Method :
Spore, Division

Foliar

Foliage Retention :
Evergreen

Mature Foliage Colour(s) :
Green

Mature Foliage Texture(s) :
Leathery

Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) :
Orange

Foliar Type :
Compound

Foliar Attachment to Stem :
Petiolate

Foliar Shape(s) :
Non-Palm Foliage (Lanceolate)

Foliar Margin :
Entire

Foliar Apex / Tip :
Mucronate

Foliar Base :
Rounded / Obtuse

Fruit, Seed & Spore

Sporophyll & Related Description :
Sporangiophore: Reddish brown and powder-like.

References

The DNA of Singapore. http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/dna/

Yong J, Tan PY, Nor Hafiz Hassan, Tan SN. 2010. A Selection of Plants for Greening of Waterways and Waterbodies in the Tropics. Singapore: Chung Printing . 480 pp.