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ladder brake (Pteris vittata)

Pteris vittata is an evergreen perennial herbaceous fern with clustered fronds. It is reported to be perennial.

LightIt is reported to grow in sunny environments, while it has also been recorded in warm, humid broadleaf forests.
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Overview

Pteris vittata is an evergreen perennial herbaceous fern with clustered fronds. It is reported to be perennial.

Origin and habitat

Sources differ on its native range, which is described as extending broadly across warm parts of the Old World, including Africa, southern and other parts of Europe, Asia including China, Japan, Taiwan and tropical Asia, and Australia; TaiCOL treats the Taiwan populations as native, while several parts of North America have clear records of introduction. Sources differ in their habitat descriptions: it can occur in warm low-elevation areas, broadleaf forests, open slopes, roadsides, ditches, stone and brick walls, limestone-associated environments, urban buildings and cracks in concrete, while some Japanese sources particularly describe drier, sunny stone-wall habitats. It is reported to occur mainly across tropical, subtropical and other warmer regions, while also being native to parts of southern Europe and temperate Asia.

Characteristics

Sources differ in their descriptions of frond size, but describe once-pinnate fronds with a conspicuous, relatively long terminal pinna; the numerous lateral pinnae are nearly linear to narrowly lanceolate, become progressively shorter near the base, and can have finely serrate or finely crenate margins, while pale brown scales may occur at the stipe base and on the rachis. Few sources report a mature height of about 75–180 cm. It is reported to have an erect rhizome.

Light

It is reported to grow in sunny environments, while it has also been recorded in warm, humid broadleaf forests.

Growing medium and mounting

It is reported to be associated with limestone environments and can also grow on substrates such as stone walls, brick walls and cracks in concrete.

Propagation

The sori are reported to be long and linear, arranged along both margins of the pinnae and protected by false indusia formed by the rolled frond margins.

Common problems

It is reported to absorb and accumulate arsenic from soil in large amounts, so plants growing in arsenic-contaminated environments may contain high concentrations of arsenic.

Identification

The rhizome is reported to bear pale brown scales, and the fronds are once-pinnate with a particularly conspicuous terminal pinna. The sori are reported to be long and linear along the margins of fertile pinnae, with the rolled frond margins forming a protective structure.

Photos

Pteris vittata
📷 Franz Xaver · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Pteris vittata
📷 stinger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by stinger · CC BY · source
Pteris vittata
📷 Jason Alexander, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by J · CC BY · source

Sources