Plant · GBIF taxon 2651707
Giant leather fern
Acrostichum danaeifoliumAlso known as Helecho Mangle, Interior Leather Fern
Giant leather ferns form massive clumps in sunlit tropical wetlands, rearing rigid fronds that easily top ten feet in height. Thick, leathery foliage enables them to endure both fresh and brackish water alongside mangroves and marsh grasses. Entire undersides of fertile fronds turn a deep, velvety brick red when covered in millions of microscopic spores.
Giant FernWetlandTropical
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
- Insects
- Marsh rabbits
- Herbivorous waterfowl
ThreatsWetland drainage, coastal development, invasive weed competition
HabitatsCoastal swamps, mangroves, marshes, wet roadside ditches
Life spanPerennial (decades)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPteridaceae
- SpeciesAcrostichum danaeifolium
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Spores: Inspect fertile fronds from below to see the continuous brick-red spore layer.
- Habitat: Look along tropical canal banks, mangrove margins, and freshwater marsh edges.
Frequent Companion (c) James St. John, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Competitor 
Close Relative (c) Jay Horn, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jay Horn · cc-by
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