Golden Leather Fern
Acrostichum aureum
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Goa, Karnataka & more
How to identify Golden Leather Fern
Identify Golden Leather Fern by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Large leathery fronds with golden spore masses, grows in mangrove swamps.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Pteridaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Golden Leather Fern.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Acrostichum aureum
- Genus
- Acrostichum
- Family
- Pteridaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- In salt marshes, along road side
- Habitat type
- Wetland
- Distribution
- Pantropical
- Found in India
- Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, West Bengal, Maharashtra
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves are glossy, broad and pinnate, the pinnae being dark green, leathery, alternate and widely spaced.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compoundrecordedLeaflets are arranged in rows along a central stalk, like a feather.“The leaves are glossy, broad and pinnate, the pinnae being dark green, leathery, alternate and widely spaced.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Golden-yellow spore-covered undersiderecorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Golden Leather Fern itself; the rest are typical of the Pteridaceae family.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- മച്ചിത്തോൽ
About Golden Leather Fern
Golden Leather Fern (Acrostichum aureum) is a herb in the Pteridaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Goa, Karnataka and 5 other states. It grows in in salt marshes, along road side.
Uses
In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten.
Pteridaceae
Maidenhair Fern Family
Golden Leather Fern belongs to the Pteridaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Pteridaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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