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Nephrolepis hirsutula

Tūroutou Taringa*

Lobed Sword-fern

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Lobed Sword-fern, Petticoat Sword-fern, Hairy Sword-fern, Scurfy Sword-fern

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tūroutou (RR MG AT MK MT), Maile Toa (TS), Maire Toa (TW)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE ? - Asia/Australia - Henderson; Hawai‘i

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group only - common; Land, lowlands - mountains (++++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Ornamental fern

KEY FEATURES: Tufted, erect fern to 100cm. FROND-STALK with dense brown fur. LEAFLETS ladder-like (=pinnate), dull above with brown hairs; lance-like, to 110x15mm, base with protruding upper lobe; tip sharp; edge without teeth. SORI round, 1mmØ and 1mm from margin, indusium round.

Enlarged Image of 'Nephrolepis hirsutula'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++++	++++	++++	++	P	P	-	P	-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+++	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Nephrolepis hirsutula (G.Forst.)
SYNONYMS: Nephrolepis hirstula [misspelling, GMJK95]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; PTERIDOPHYTA (=Pterophyta); Aspidiales; OLEANDRACEAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.15 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.781 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.409c Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.24 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03b

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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