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Microsorum commutatum

Maire Kakara

Scented Oak-leaf Fern

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Fronds, and sori detail	65KB
Image:	cv 'Southern Cross'	97KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Scented Oak-leaf Fern

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Maire Kakara (RR), Maire Kiore (MG), Maire (AT), Maire ??? (AK); COMMENT: On Rarotonga cv 'Southern Cross' is Maire Vai‘i.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Indonesia - French Polynesia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group (native Rarotonga and Mangaia, introduced elsewhere, also cv. 'Southern Cross' as a houseplant; Land, lowlands - mountains (+++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Adornment (leaves), Ornamental (leaves)

KEY FEATURES: Erect to 1m. ROOT creeping. FROND 1-blade, deeply dissected ladderlike into long tapering lobes. SORI small and irregularly scattered. cv. 'Southern Cross' or Tahitian Fern has primary lobes dissected into irregular tapering lobes.

Enlarged Image of 'Microsorum commutatum'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: -
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

Microsorum commutatum (Blume)
SYNONYMS: Microsorium commutatum [alternate spelling]; Microsorium salvaticum; Phymatosorus commutatus; Phymatodes commutata; Polypodium expansum [incl. TC]; Polypodium vitiense; Polypodium sylvaticum; Polypodium polynesicum; Phymatosorus commutatus 'Southern Cross' [a variety]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; PTERIDOPHYTA (=Pterophyta); Polypodiales; POLYPODIACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Adornment (leaves), Ornamental (leaves). Comments: Native plant has fragrant ('kakara') leaves and is sometimes used in head garlands (°ei katu). Cultivar 'Southern Cross' or 'Tahitian Fern' is a popular houseplant.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
Special Reference: Wilson, A.K. (1993) A Fern from the South Pacific: Phymatosorus commutatus 'Southern Cross', LAIFS Fern Journal 20(6):109-112.

p.374c Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zupB04b, zM02, zD05a

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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