Fragrant fern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fragrant fern |
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| A close-up view of the fragrant fern climbing up a tree | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Suborder: | Polypodiineae |
| Family: | Polypodiaceae |
| Genus: | Dendroconche |
| Species: |
D. scandens
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| Binomial name | |
| Dendroconche scandens (G. Forst.) Testo, Sundue & A.R.Field
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| Synonyms | |
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Dendroconche scandens is an amazing climbing fern known for its lovely, sweet scent. Because of its alternate scientific name, Microsorum scandens, scientists have studied it under a few different titles. Most people know it by its popular names, mokimoki or the fragrant fern. This unusual plant belongs to the polypody family, known to botanists as Polypodiaceae. Unlike ordinary ferns that grow flat on the dirt, this species loves to climb upward. It uses its thin, creeping stems to crawl up rough tree trunks and rocky forest walls.
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Where does the fragrant fern grow?
This climbing green plant is native to wild places in New Zealand and eastern Australia. In Australia, it grows naturally across parts of Queensland, New South Wales, and the cool woods of Victoria.
Island homes and global travels
The fern also thrives naturally on several small islands located across the Pacific Ocean.
- You can find it on Chatham Island, which sits far off the eastern coast of New Zealand.
- It grows well on the warm volcanic ridges of Lord Howe Island.
- It also lives natively in the lush greenery of Norfolk Island.
People loved this plant so much that they took it to distant lands. Today, it has established itself in South Africa and Zimbabwe, where it enjoys warm, shady spots.
Forest habitats in New Zealand
In New Zealand, the fragrant fern is widespread throughout the scenic North Island. For instance, it thrives across the damp forests of the Hamilton Ecological District. It rarely grows completely alone in these wild habitats. Instead, it shares its leafy home with other native climbers and ground plants. These forest neighbours include the climbing fern Icarus filiforme and the crown fern Lomaria discolor. In general, mokimoki prefers to dwell inside lowland and coastal forests where the air remains misty, cool, and humid.
How the climbing fern looks and grows
The fragrant fern has very slender, wiry stems that measure just 2 to 4 millimetres across. These thin green stems creep along like little ropes, gripping tree bark tightly as the plant climbs toward the sun.
Changing leaves as it ages
As the fern grows older, its leafy green fronds change their shape in a surprising way. Young juvenile fronds are quite small and simple, forming whole, undivided leaves. When the fern reaches adulthood, its fronds become much larger, thin, and deeply divided into multiple leaflets. These adult fronds show off an earthy, dull green color rather than a shiny bright gloss.
Spore reproduction and life cycle
Ferns do not produce colorful flowers, fruits, or seeds to reproduce. Instead, the fragrant fern relies on tiny biological packets called spores to start new generations. Underneath its mature fronds, the plant grows tiny, dome-like bumps called sori. These brownish sori hold hundreds of microscopic spores that drift away on forest breezes to seed new plants.
Ancient uses for its sweet scent
Mokimoki gets its fragrant fern nickname from the pleasant, sweet perfume that comes from its foliage. Long ago, native people discovered that crushing its leaves released a strong, fresh aroma. They gathered fresh fronds and used them as a natural room freshener to hide foul smells. They also infused the scented fronds into oils to create fragrant perfumes for personal use.
