Giant maidenhair fern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant maidenhair fern |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Family: | Pteridaceae |
| Genus: | Adiantum |
| Species: |
A. formosum
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| Binomial name | |
| Adiantum formosum |
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The Giant Maidenhair fern is a beautiful plant. It is also known as the black stem maidenhair. You can find this fern growing in Australia and New Zealand. A Scottish plant expert named Robert Brown first described it in 1810. Its scientific name, Adiantum formosum, comes from a Latin word meaning "handsome" or "beautiful".
About the Giant Maidenhair Fern
The Giant Maidenhair fern is a very attractive plant. Its leaves, called fronds, can grow quite tall. They can reach up to 120 centimeters (about 4 feet) high.
What it Looks Like
The roots of this fern, called a rhizome, grow deep into the ground. They can go down as far as 60 centimeters (2 feet). The stems of the fern are black. They can be up to 90 centimeters (3 feet) long. The fronds are shaped like triangles. They have smaller, rectangular parts. The very last part of a frond is often uneven.
The smallest parts of the fronds are called pinnules. These are shaped like wedges, rectangles, or trapezoids. Underneath these small parts, you can find tiny brown spots. These spots are called sori. They contain the fern's spores, which are like seeds.
Where it Grows
The Giant Maidenhair fern is found in several parts of Australia. These include Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. It also grows in New Zealand. You often see it in wet areas. It likes to grow along streams. It prefers rich, wet soil.
This fern usually lives in rainforests. You might also find it in nearby open eucalyptus forests. In these places, it can grow in large groups.
Growing Your Own
The Giant Maidenhair fern is easy to grow at home. It makes a great plant for pots. It seems to rest during cooler months. Then, it grows very quickly in the summer. You can even find a smaller type of this fern that has different colored leaves.
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
