Pteridaceae
Acrostichum

Acrostichum aureum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 1069 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropics & Subtropics. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as animal food and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Adiantaceae, A. H. G. Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Ferns and Fern-Allies Supplement. 1959

Ecology
Clumps in drier parts of mangrove swamps and on riverside and mudflats near the coast, rarely inland.
[FWTA]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Colombia
[CPLC]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/177110/7366131

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome bearing at apex a dense tuft of rigid linear, dark brown scales ca. 1.5 cm long or less
Morphology Leaves
Fronds up to 3 m long (usually much shorter); stipes much shorter than the lamina, subterete, light brown, bearing at base a cluster of ovate, thinly papery scales, these pale brown with a blackish midrib, the margins minutely lacerate, up to 1.5 cm long; upward the stipes bearing several alternate hard spurs
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Lamina oblong, 20–40 cm broad, with 10–14 ascending pinnae on each side and a terminal one; tissue of hard texture, glabrous; fertile pinnae (when present) 1–4 on a side.
Distribution
Grand Cayman, Little Cayman. Pantropical; L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1069 (1753).
Ecology
Common in more or less brackish swamps, also occasionally in wet pockets of limestone rock.
[Cayman]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
carranconcha, chicharrón, chiguamacho, corocilla, corozo de ciénaga, helecho chiguamacho, helecho mano de tigre, madrevieja, matatigre, racancha, ranconcha
[UNAL]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–950 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Magdalena, Nariño, Sucre, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0