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Nephrolepis hirsutula (G.Forst.) C.Presl

Asian sword fern

Native records: 36 botanical areas

Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Caroline Is., 33 more areas

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Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Nephrolepis hirsutula

An epiphyte of wet tropical climates. Native to Indonesia, Australia, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Japan and elsewhere.

This entry carries only the classification and distribution data recorded in WCVP. A written account is not yet available.

Distribution areas

  • American Samoa

    • SamoaNative
    • Tokelau-ManihikiNative

  • Australia

    • Northern TerritoryNative
    • QueenslandNative
    • Western AustraliaNative

  • Brunei Darussalam

    • BorneoNative

  • China

    • China South-CentralIntroduced

  • Cook Islands

    • Tokelau-ManihikiNative

  • Fiji

    • FijiNative

  • French Polynesia

    • MarquesasNative
    • TuamotuNative
    • Tubuai Is.Native

  • Guam

    • MarianasNative

  • Indonesia

    • BorneoNative
    • JawaNative
    • Lesser Sunda Is.Native
    • MalukuNative
    • New GuineaNative
    • SulawesiNative
    • SumateraNative

  • Japan

    • Kazan-rettoNative
    • Ogasawara-shotoNative

  • Kiribati

    • Line Is.Native

  • Malaysia

    • BorneoNative
    • MalayaNative

  • Marshall Islands

    • Marshall Is.Native

  • Micronesia, Federated States of

    • Caroline Is.Native

  • Myanmar

    • MyanmarNative

  • New Caledonia

    • New CaledoniaNative

  • Niue

    • NiueNative

  • Northern Mariana Islands

    • MarianasNative

  • Palau

    • Caroline Is.Native

  • Papua New Guinea

    • Bismarck ArchipelagoNative
    • New GuineaNative
    • Solomon Is.Native

  • Philippines

    • PhilippinesNative

  • Pitcairn

    • Pitcairn Is.Native

  • Samoa

    • SamoaNative

  • Singapore

    • MalayaNative

  • Solomon Islands

    • Santa Cruz Is.Native
    • Solomon Is.Native

  • Tanzania, United Republic of

    • TanzaniaIntroduced

  • Thailand

    • ThailandNative

  • Timor-Leste

    • Lesser Sunda Is.Native

  • Tokelau

    • Tokelau-ManihikiNative

  • United States Minor Outlying Islands

    • HawaiiNative
    • Line Is.Native

  • United States of America

    • HawaiiNative

  • Vanuatu

    • VanuatuNative

  • Viet Nam

    • VietnamNative

  • Wallis and Futuna

    • Wallis-Futuna Is.Native

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Af Tropical, rainforest
  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • Am Tropical, monsoon
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • Cwa Temperate, dry winter, hot summer
  • Cfb Temperate, no dry season, warm summer

The same climate occurs in 227 areas worldwide, 189 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Nephrolepis hirsutula is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.681, left column, line 41

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Asian sword fern、scaly swordfern、Scaly Swordfern

Family
Polypodiaceae
Genus
Nephrolepis

Other species in Nephrolepis

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    American Samoa · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Australia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Brunei Darussalam · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    China · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Cook Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Fiji · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Micronesia, Federated States of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guam · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Indonesia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Japan · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Kiribati · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Marshall Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Myanmar · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Northern Mariana Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Malaysia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    New Caledonia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Niue · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Pitcairn · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Philippines · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Palau · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Papua New Guinea · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    French Polynesia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Singapore · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Solomon Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Thailand · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Tokelau · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Timor-Leste · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Tanzania, United Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States Minor Outlying Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States of America · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Viet Nam · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Vanuatu · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Wallis and Futuna · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Samoa · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information