Athyrium niponicum

Taxobox
name = "Athyrium niponicum"


image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Athyrium niponicum" 'Pictum'
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pteridophyta
classis = Pteridopsida
ordo = Athyriales
familia = Athyriaceae
genus = "Athyrium"
species = "A. niponicum"
binomial = "Athyrium niponicum"
binomial_authority = (Mett.) Hance

"Athyrium niponicum" is a species of fern in the genus "Athyrium", native to eastern Asia in Japan, northern China, Korea and Taiwan.

It is a deciduous herbaceous plant, with a whorl of fronds growing from the basal rootstock. The fronds are 25-40 cm tall and 15-25 cm broad, pinnate, with 6-10 pairs of pinnae 4-9 cm long and 2-3 cm broad, deeply lobed, bright green with a dark red-brown stem in the wild plant, with the spore-bearing sori on the underside of all of the pinnae.

The species name is sometimes cited as "nipponicum".

Cultivation and uses

It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens; several cultivars have been selected, including 'Pictum' (Japanese Painted Fern) with pale silvery-green fronds and a bright red stem, 'Red Beauty' with yellow fronds and a bright red stem, and 'Pictum Cristatum' with crested fronds.

References

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?403644 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Athyrium niponicum"]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1011&taxon_id=200003811 Athyriaceae at E-floras: "Athyrium niponicum"]
* [http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/udth/bin/fot1.exe/browse?bid=1&page=424 Flora of Taiwan: "Athyrium nipponicum"]
*ja icon [http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~chaca/inuwarabi.htm Photos of wild plants in Japan]