Haplopteris ensiformis

Haplopteris ensiformis, commonly known as the tape fern or shoestring fern, is a species of small fern native to tropical areas from eastern Africa and Madagascar, through south and southeast Asia, to Australia and islands of the Pacific. It grows on rocks and tree trunks in rainforest.

Clade:Tracheophytes

Division:Polypodiophyta

Class:Polypodiopsida

Order:Polypodiales

Quick facts Scientific classification, Binomial name ...

Haplopteris ensiformis

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Family:	Pteridaceae
Genus:	Haplopteris
Species:	H. ensiformis
Binomial name
*Haplopteris ensiformis* (Sw.) E.H.Crane^[1]
Synonyms^[1]
11 synonyms Oetosis ensiformis (Sw.) Greene Vittaria elongata var. ensiformis (Sw.) C.Chr. Vittaria ensiformis Sw. Haplopteris hainanensis (C.Chr. ex Ching) E.H.Crane Vittaria bensei Alderw. Vittaria bonincola H.Itô Vittaria ensifolia Blume Vittaria hainanensis C.Chr. ex Ching Vittaria incurvata Cav. Vittaria montana Manickam Vittaria plantaginea Bory Vittaria sessilis Copel.

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Description

Haplopteris ensiformis is a small epiphytic or lithophytic that has short-creeping, rhizomes densely covered in scales and ginger hairs. The dark green fronds are clustered, linear and pendant, about 6 mm (0.24 in) wide and up to 50 cm (20 in) long. Newly emerging fronds are pale pink or red. Sori are produced in continuous lines just inside the margins on the underside of the fronds.

Distribution

The species is native to the following regions as defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions:^[1]^[2]

East Tropical Africa: Tanzania
South Tropical Africa: Zimbabwe
Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles
China: China South-Central, Hainan
Eastern Asia: Kazan-retto, Ogasawara-shoto, Taiwan
Indian Subcontinent: India
Indo-China: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
Malesia: Borneo, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Maluku, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra
Papuasia: Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Islands
Australia: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland
Southwestern Pacific: Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu
South-Central Pacific: Easter Islands, Marquesas, Tubuai Islands
Northwestern Pacific: Caroline Islands, Marianas, Marshall Islands

Habit and habitat

It grows on tree trunks, logs, rock faces and boulders in rainforest. It also occurs in other wet forest types such as the wet sclerophyll forests of eastern Australia.^[3]^[4]

Conservation

The conservation status of this plant varies across its distribution. In Zimbabwe it is considered to be endangered,^[5] and in the Northern Territory it is listed as near threatened,^[6] while in Queensland and Singapore it has least concern status.^[7]^[4] As of January 2026^[update], it has not been assessed by the IUCN.