Heart Fern
Mickelopteris cordata
- Habit
- Herb-Terrestrial
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & more
How to identify Heart Fern
Identify Heart 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-terrestrial habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Heart-shaped leaflets.
- Confirm leaf type: Once-divided (pinnate).
- Confirm leaf shape: Cordate.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Pteridaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Heart Fern.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Mickelopteris cordata
- Genus
- Mickelopteris
- Family
- Pteridaceae
- Habit
- Herb-Terrestrial
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Once-divided (pinnate)recorded
- Leaf shape
- CordaterecordedHeart-shaped, with a notch at the base.“The blade (lamina) of the frond is usually 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) long by about 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) wide, with a heart-shaped base and a somewhat rounded apex.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Plain green undersiderecorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Heart Fern itself; the rest are typical of the Pteridaceae family.
About Heart Fern
Heart Fern (Mickelopteris cordata) is a ground herb in the Pteridaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and 3 other states. It grows in moist deciduous forests.
Pteridaceae
Maidenhair Fern Family
Heart Fern belongs to the Pteridaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
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