Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C. Presl.

helecho espada, helecho peine, fishbone fern, herringbone fern, sword fern

Nephrolepis cordifolia cordifolia (L.) C. Presl. Photo: Joseph Weirich, CDF, 2012.
Nephrolepis cordifolia cordifolia (L.) C. Presl. Photo: Joseph Weirich, CDF, 2012.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Pteridophyta

Class
Pteridopsida

Order
Polypodiales

Family
Nephrolepidaceae

Genus
Nephrolepis

Species
cordifolia

Taxon category: Accepted

The native "N. cordifolia" of Wiggins & Porter (1971) and Lawesson et al. (1987) was identified as N. pectinata. Earlier records refer to N. pectinata (q. v.). Family changed from Davalliaceae to Nephrolepidaceae (Hassler, 2022; GBIF, 2024; ), also refered in Polypodiaceae (POWO, 2024)

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 2002

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Human dependent

Invasive status: No data

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

References

  • Wiggins, I.L. Porter, D.M. (1971) Flora of the Galapagos Islands Standford University Press, Stanford.
  • Lawesson, J.E. Adsersen, H. & Bentley, P. (1987) An updated and annotated check list of the vascular plants of the Galapagos islands. Rept. Bot. Inst., Univ. Aarhus 16: 1-74.
  • Hooker, J.D. (1847) An Enumeration of the Plants of the Galapagos Archipelago; with descriptions of those which are new. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 20: 163-233.
  • Andersson, N.J. (1855) Om Galápagos Öarnes Vegetation. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien Handl., Stockholm: 61-256.
  • Itow, S. (1997) List of Plant Specimens collected in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Bulletin of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Nagasaki University, Natural Science, 38 (1): 53-144.
  • Gerecke, R. Peck, S.B. & Pehofer, H.E. (1995) The invertebrate fauna of the inland waters of the Galápagos Archipelago (Ecuador) - a limnological and zoogeographical summary. Arch. Hydrobiol./ Suppl. 107(2): 113-147.
  • Blair, C. Newton, A. (1985) Epiphytic Colonies in the highlands of Santa Cruz Annual Report 1986-1687. Charles Darwin Research Station. Pg. 34,35.
  • Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276
  • Itow, S. (1987) Comunidades Herbaceas y Ericaceas en las tierras altas de Santa Cruz Islas Galápagos. Pg. 52 - 65. Memorias: Taller sobre investigación Botánica y manejo en Galápagos.
  • Van der Werff, H.H. (1987) Los Helechos como indicadores de tipos de vegetación en las Islas Galápagos. Memorias. Investigación Botánica y Manejo en Galápagos. Pg.88-103
  • GBIF Secretariat (2021) GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei Accessed via https://www.gbif.org/species/5284517
  • Hassler, M. (2022) World Ferns. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World Hassler, M. (2022). World Ferns. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World. Version 12.11; last update March 7th, 2022. www.worldplants.de/ferns/.
  • Chen, C.-W. Sundue, M., Kuo, L.-Y., Teng, W.-C., Huang, Y.-M. (2017) Phylogenetic analyses place the monotypic Dryopolystichum within Lomariopsidaceae PhytoKeys 78: 83-107. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.78.12040

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Nephrolepis cordifolia", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=68. Accessed 22 June 2025.