Species
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Nephrolepis falcata (Cav.) C.Chr.

Fishtail Swordfern, Fishtail swordfern (EN)

Climate known 50 photographs Fern or moss
Add one to my plants Sow seed

Every figure on this page is derived from public data by a stated rule and says its source; nothing here is written by a person or a model, except the Wikipedia passage, which is quoted and marked as such. How it is made.

About the genus · Nephrolepis

Nephrolepis is a genus of about 30 species of ferns. It is the only genus in the family Nephrolepidaceae, placed in the suborder Aspleniineae of the order Polypodiales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. Species in this genus include plants commonly referred to as Boston ferns. More on Wikipedia ›

The opening of Wikipedia, “Nephrolepis”, CC BY-SA 4.0, quoted as written.

Family
Nephrolepidaceae
Described by
(Cav.) C.Chr.
Native to
Philippines
Wild records
38 in range· 36 open

At a glance

Warmest month
29°C
May, mean day; nights 23 °C (CHELSA)
Rain
2505mm/yr
12 wet months · peak Jul 325 mm (CHELSA)
Light
25–40DLI
mol/m²/day, winter to summer, open sky (CHELSA shortwave)
In short condensed by rule from the cultivation cards · not written by a person
Grouped as a fern or moss by the genus Nephrolepis, which is reliably one kind of plant (archetype table). Rain rule: a sharp rainy season, June to December at the habitat (not shifted); the temperature curve is flat (2.6 °C of range), so no growing season is inferred. Habitat rain 2505 mm a year, wettest July at 325 mm, driest March at 83 mm (habitat calendar, northern hemisphere). Open sky over the habitat: 25 to 40 mol/m²/day. Cold floor 17.7 °C (1st-percentile habitat night, NASA POWER).
Each sentence is one card's own one-line form, written by the same rule as the card (Its year, Rain, Light, Temperature); the note cannot say what a card does not. Months are given for the northern hemisphere (set your site in Settings to change this), and the habitat's own alongside. The cards · the figures.

Also known as Aspidium biserratum var. furcans (L.H.Bailey) Farw.; Nephrolepis barbata Copel.; Nephrolepis biserrata var. furcans (T.Moore) L.H.Bailey; Nephrolepis davallioides var. furcans T.Moore; Nephrolepis davallioides var. furcans T.Moore ex G.Nicholson and 2 more.

Cultivation

Grouped as a fern or moss by the genus Nephrolepis, which is reliably one kind of plant (archetype table). The table supplies one figure for this group, a conventional minimum for the cold floor, and no prose.

Its year Rain rule: a sharp rainy season, June to December at the habitat (not shifted); the temperature curve is flat (2.6 °C of range), so no growing season is inferred.

This species’ habitat figures, and what two fixed rules read from them.

The rain rule reads a sharp season: 70% of the year's rain (1913 mm of 2505 mm) falls in June to December. The temperature curve is flat, 2.6 °C between the warmest and coldest month, so the growing-season rule does not infer a growing season from it. Months are the habitat's, northern hemisphere; with a flat temperature curve there is no season to reverse, so they are not shifted for a collection elsewhere.

Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the envelope cells: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve gives a season to reverse. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain Habitat rain 2505 mm a year, wettest July at 325 mm, driest March at 83 mm (habitat calendar, northern hemisphere).

This species’ habitat figures, with their source.

2505 mm a year at the habitat, 1913 mm of it June to December. Wettest month July at 325 mm, driest March at 83 mm. Across the envelope cells the year's total runs 1903 mm to 3942 mm (10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year) (median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA; habitat calendar, northern hemisphere).

CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the envelope cells. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light Open sky over the habitat: 25 to 40 mol/m²/day.

This species’ habitat figures, with their source.

Open sky over the habitat: 25 to 40 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 22, the highest 90th-percentile month 42).

CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Warmth and air Cold floor 17.7 °C (1st-percentile habitat night, NASA POWER).

This species’ habitat figures, with their source.

Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at the typical cell is 17.7 °C, the absolute minimum 14.8 °C, no frost in 44 years (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 34.9 °C. Monthly means: coldest night 21.0 °C in January (across the envelope cells 16.9 °C to 23.8 °C), warmest day 28.9 °C in May (median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA). Cold floor: 17.7 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at the typical cell (NASA POWER); the archetype table's minimum for a fern or moss, 5 °C, is lower and does not raise it.

NASA POWER daily minima and maxima 1981–2024 at the typical cell, lapse-corrected to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA. The cold floor is the figure named in its sentence, and the archetype table's group minimum where that is higher. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 66 to 71% across the year (monthly means, median year across the envelope cells, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the envelope cells.

The figures the cards read from are in Climate below, and where they came from in Natural habitat.

Climate across the habitat

Habitat climate through the yearMean day from 25 °C in Jan to 29 °C in May; mean night from 21 °C in Jan to 23 °C in May. The cold quarter, Dec to Feb, is the three months around the coldest night. 2505 mm of rain a year, most in Jul. The bands show the 10th to 90th percentile across 35 habitat cells. Over 44 years at the typical cell the absolute minimum was 14.8 °C and the 99th-percentile day 34.9 °C; neither is dated to a month. Beneath: daily light integral and relative humidity through the year, each on its own scale.10°15°20°25°30°35°40°34.9° 99th-percentile day (undated)14.8° lowest night in 44 yrs (undated)°C · day and nightcold quarter0100200300400500600mm rainDLI 25–40RH 66–71 %JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain 10th–90th percentile across 35 habitat cells cold quarter: the three months around the coldest night extremes over 44 years at the typical cell, marked at the edge: undated DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C25 / 22–2825 / 22–2927 / 23–3028 / 25–3129 / 25–3128 / 24–3028 / 24–3028 / 24–3028 / 24–2927 / 23–2927 / 23–2925 / 22–28
Night °C21 / 17–2421 / 17–2422 / 17–2523 / 18–2623 / 18–2623 / 18–2623 / 18–2623 / 18–2623 / 18–2623 / 18–2523 / 18–2522 / 17–24
Rain mm154 / 18–36792 / 16–26083 / 19–23090 / 37–202173 / 112–287261 / 161–344325 / 185–427288 / 172–384298 / 201–413302 / 210–473248 / 124–508191 / 76–485
DLI27 / 24–3032 / 28–3437 / 34–3940 / 36–4237 / 32–4033 / 29–3732 / 29–3632 / 28–3731 / 28–3530 / 27–3327 / 24–3025 / 22–29
RH %71 / 61–7669 / 60–7568 / 60–7466 / 60–7268 / 63–7369 / 64–7369 / 65–7470 / 66–7369 / 66–7570 / 64–7671 / 63–7671 / 61–77

Each figure is the median across the 35 grid cells holding the 38 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. Extremes and elevation were read at the typical cell 1517:6024 (14.125, 121.225). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum 14.8 °C, 1st-percentile night 17.7 °C, 99th-percentile day 34.9 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Envelope: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 35 distinct grid cells holding the 38 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 1517:6024 (its coldest month's mean night nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 14.00_121.250, lapse-corrected +180 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 342 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across every in-range record's cell, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.
NativePhilippines
Kew's description“epiphyte” · “wet tropical”· quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Map marker14.133, 121.2 · in the densest population, 20 records (53% of those in range)
Evidence usedThe map marker and the climate envelope rest on all 38 georeferenced records inside the native range; the map shows only the 36 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker 10 km away. 437 records outside the range (gardens, roadsides, misidentifications) ignored.
The map markerthe map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population inside the densest 2° block of the 38 in-range records; it decides nothing.

Photographs

Nephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcataNephrolepis falcata

Photographs: (c) Jay Horn, some rights reserved (CC BY) (2); (c) Josiah Londerée, some rights reserved (CC BY); (c) Anders Hastings, some rights reserved (CC BY) (4); no rights reserved · CC0.

Photographs: iNaturalist did not answer when this page was built; what is shown came from the sources that did.

Papers naming this species

Works whose title or abstract names Nephrolepis falcata, most cited first, from OpenAlex (CC0). A mention, not a cultivation source: nothing on this page is drawn from them.

Keragaman Tumbuhan Paku (Pteridophyta) di Taman Biodiversitas Hutan Hujan Tropis Mandiangin
Abdul Majid, Aulia Ajizah, Sri Amintarti (2022) · JURNAL Al-AZHAR INDONESIA SERI SAINS DAN TEKNOLOGI
ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF THE INDONESIAN FERNS, NEPHROLEPIS FALCATA AND PYRROSIA LANCEOLATA
Ismiarni Komala, Azrifitria Yardi, Ofa Suzanti Betha, Finti Muliati (2015) · International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
The diversity of mangrove forests in Kumbewaha, Buton Island, Indonesia
Muhamad Iksan, La Aba, Fahmil Ikhsan Taharu, A Alfian (2019) · IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Jenis-jenis tumbuhan reklamasi potensial untuk fitoremediasi di kawasan bekas tambang emas
Danang Wahyu Purnomo (2015) · Prosiding Seminar Nasional Masyarakat Biodiversitas Indonesia
The spores structure of ferns growing in mountain Gumitir coffee plantation area Jember Regency
Dwi Setyati, Henny Sulistyowati, R. Rahmawati, Tuti Ratnasari (2021) · IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Identifikasi Tumbuhan Paku (Pteridophyta) dan Kekerabatannya di Kawasan Wisata Air Terjun Curup Tenang Bedegung Kecamatan Tanjung Agung Kabupaten Muara Enim
Nurleli Apriyanti, Didi Jaya Santri, Kodri Madang (2017) · Jurnal Pembelajaran Biologi: Kajian Biologi dan Pembelajarannya
Uji Stabilitas Fisik dan Kimia Sediaan Gel Semprot Ekstrak Etanol Tumbuhan Paku (Nephrolepis falcata (Cav.) C. Chr.)
Khoirun Nisak (2016) · Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Institutional Repository (Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)
Diversitas Species Tumbuhan Paku Hias dalam Upaya Melestarikan Sumberdaya Hayati Kebun Raya Baturraden
Sukarsa Sukarsa, Hexa Apriliana Hidayah, Titi Chasanah (2011) · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
KEANEKARAGAMAN JENIS TUMBUHAN PAKU (Pteridophyta) DI KECAMATAN KETAHUN KABUPATEN BENGKULU UTARA
Mesi Afriana, Charles Darwin, Rukiah Lubis, Saparudin Saroni (2021) · Jurnal Riset dan Inovasi Pendidikan Sains (JRIPS)

Similar habitat climate the 6 species whose habitat climate is nearest this one's: mean day and night, month by month, and rain on a log scale, in calendar order, so a habitat with the same seasons six months out is far, not near. Nothing else counts: not range, not family.

Other Nephrolepis 3 in the reference

History & registers

Where this page came from built 2026-09-20 · dossier v2 · node
gbif.species answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (offline re-derivation; the backbone was not asked)
gbif.synonyms answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (offline re-derivation; the backbone was not asked)
gbif.vernacular answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (offline re-derivation; the backbone was not asked)
wcvp.distribution answered
gbif.occurrences answeredGBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.3h4zam
climate answered
wikidata answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive); that build: carried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive)
wikipedia nothing to reportcarried from build of 2026-09-19; this build: skipped
inat.taxon not asked
inat.photos.wild answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19; this build: skipped
inat.photos.cultivated nothing to reportcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive); that build: carried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive)
commons nothing to reportcarried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive); that build: carried from build of 2026-09-19 (rederive)
gbif.media answered
openalex answeredcarried from build of 2026-09-19; this build: skipped

Every upstream is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, or refused. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 48 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.