Taxon: Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C. Presl

Summary

Genus:

Nephrolepis

Family:

Nephrolepidaceae

Nomen number:

403335

Place of publication:

Tent. pterid. 79. 1836

Comment:

based on Polypodium cordifolia L., which is conserved (nom. cons.) with a conserved type (Madrid ICN Art. 14.9 & App. IV)

Verified:

11/12/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Polypodium cordifolium L.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
Hoshizaki, B. J. & R. C. Moran. 2001. Fern grower's manual. Revised and expanded edition 391-393.
Hoshizaki, B. J. 1975. Fern Growers manual. A comprehensive guide for every gardener to every aspect of fern cultivation-indoors and outdoors Afred A. Knopf, New York. Note: includes two cultivars
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
Nayar, B. K. & K. K. Geevarghese. 1993. Fern flora of Malabar.
Riefner Jr., R. E. & A. R. Smith. 2015. Nephrolepis cordifolia (Nephrolepidaceae) naturalized in southern California (U.S.A.) : with notes on unitended consequences of escaped garden plants. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 9:201-212. Note: escaped from cultivation into urban sites; this work comments on its obscure native range, probably not native to Mexico or Central America
Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Verdcourt, B. 1996. (1239-1240) Proposals to conserve the name Polypodium cordifolium[=Nephrolepis cordifolia] with a conserved type, and to reject P. auriculatum, in order to stabilize nomenclature in Nephrolepis (Nephrolepidaceae). Taxon 45:539-540.
Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Zimmer, B. 1999. Report of the Committee for Pteridophyta: 14. Taxon 48:133-134. Note: conservation proposal recommended
1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	erect sword fern	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
English	fishbone fern	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	ladder fern	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
English	tuber fern	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	tuberous sword fern	1	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Japanese Rōmaji	tama-shida	2	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Swedish	fjäderbräken	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Ciudad de México		Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	México		Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
1	Native	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii		Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Paraná		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Rio Grande do Sul		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Buenos Aires		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Catamarca		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Córdoba		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Corrientes		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Jujuy		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Salta		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Santa Fe		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina	Tucumán		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay	Central		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Carchi		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Cotopaxi		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Esmeraldas		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Galápagos		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Guayas		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Imbabura		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Morona Santiago		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Napo		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Pastaza		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Pichincha		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Sucumbíos		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Tungurahua		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Amazonas		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Ayacucho		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Cajamarca		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Cusco		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Huánuco		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Junín		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Loreto		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Pasco		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Puno		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	San Martín		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru	Ucayali		Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
2	Cultivated					widely cult.	Hoshizaki, B. J. & R. C. Moran. 2001. Fern grower's manual. Revised and expanded edition 391-393.
4	Naturalized	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
4	Naturalized	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Nayar, B. K. & K. K. Geevarghese. 1993. Fern flora of Malabar.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia			Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
4	Naturalized	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		Riefner Jr., R. E. & A. R. Smith. 2015. Nephrolepis cordifolia (Nephrolepidaceae) naturalized in southern California (U.S.A.) : with notes on unitended consequences of escaped garden plants. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 9:201-212. Note: escaped from cultivation into urban sites; this work comments on its obscure native range, probably not native to Mexico or Central America
6	Other					exact native range obscure	Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.

Native
Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chiapas, Ciudad de México, México, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil [Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul]
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuador [Galápagos, Carchi, Cotopaxi, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Imbabura, Morona Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Tungurahua, Zamora Chinchipe, Sucumbíos], Peru [Amazonas, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huánuco, Junín, Loreto, Pasco, Puno, San Martín, Ucayali]
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina [Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Córdoba, Corrientes, Jujuy, Salta, Santa Fe, Tucumán], Paraguay [Central]

Cultivated (widely cult.)
Naturalized
Africa

EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania

Asia-Temperate

EASTERN ASIA: Japan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Northern America

SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California]

Other (exact native range obscure)

Reference(s)

Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
Hoshizaki, B. J. & R. C. Moran. 2001. Fern grower's manual. Revised and expanded edition 391-393.
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054.
Nayar, B. K. & K. K. Geevarghese. 1993. Fern flora of Malabar.
Riefner Jr., R. E. & A. R. Smith. 2015. Nephrolepis cordifolia (Nephrolepidaceae) naturalized in southern California (U.S.A.) : with notes on unitended consequences of escaped garden plants. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 9:201-212. Note: escaped from cultivation into urban sites; this work comments on its obscure native range, probably not native to Mexico or Central America
Tryon, R. M. et al. 1993. Part V. (18. Aspleniaceae - 21. Polypodiaceae). In: Tryon, R. M. & R. G. Stolze, eds., Pteridophyta of Peru. Fieldiana, Botany new ser. 32:52-53.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmental	ornamental	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Environmental	ornamental	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Environmental	ornamental	Hoshizaki, B. J. 1975. Fern Growers manual. A comprehensive guide for every gardener to every aspect of fern cultivation-indoors and outdoors Afred A. Knopf, New York. Note: includes two cultivars
Weed		Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=403335. Accessed 3 October 2026.