Adiantum latifolium

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Adiantum brasiliense
• Adiantum denticulatum var. humile
• Adiantum denticulatum var. obtusum
• Adiantum elatum
• Adiantum fovearum
• Adiantum fovearum var. majus
• Adiantum fovearum var. reductum
• Adiantum glaziovii
• Adiantum intermedium var. medioximum
• Adiantum intermedium var. triangulatum
• Adiantum latifolium var. grisebachianum
• Adiantum lucidum var. bipinnatum
• Adiantum sordidum
• Adiantum triangulatum
• Adiantum triangulatum var. acuminatum

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Polypodiinae and the order Polypodiales, it is further categorized into the family Pteridaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement within the genus Adiantum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse distribution across several key regions within South and Southeast Asia. Within the Indian Subcontinent, it can be found growing in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Its range also extends into the Indo-China region, specifically covering the Andaman Islands. Additionally, the species is documented to inhabit the Nicobar Islands. Collectively, these locations highlight its presence in both mainland and island ecosystems.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Adiantum latifolium is characterized by its occurrence in diverse tropical forest environments, specifically within Floresta de Terra Firme and Floressta Ombrófila (also known as Floressta Pluvial). This species thrives across a significant altitudinal gradient, occupying ecological niches from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1500 m AMSL. Its presence in these high-moisture, stable forest habitats suggests a reliance on the shaded, humid microclimates typical of both lowland rainforests and montane forest systems.

Elevational range max:

1500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta de Terra Firme, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial)

Life history

The life history of Adiantum latifolium is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, meaning the plant persists through multiple growing seasons rather than completing its cycle in a single year. As a perennial species, it establishes a stable presence within its habitat, utilizing long-term vegetative structures to survive periods of environmental fluctuation. This enduring growth habit allows the plant to accumulate resources over time, facilitating consistent development and reproductive potential across successive years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Adiantum latifolium is characterized by its classification as a non-woody herb and a non-woody forb, exhibiting a growth habit that is fundamentally self-supporting. It does not function as a climber, liana, or vine, nor does it possess obligatory or facultative climbing mechanisms, instead maintaining a self-supporting structure. In terms of its ecological niche and substrate preference, the plant is terrestrial rather than aquatic or semiaquatic, and it lacks epiphytic tendencies, functioning strictly as a terrestrial organism. Furthermore, it maintains an independent life cycle, showing no parasitic behavior toward other plants.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Adiantum latiifolium is fundamentally characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a mechanism in which carbon dioxide is initially fixed into a three-carbon compound during the Calvin cycle. This metabolic strategy dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and its adaptation to specific microclimatic conditions, typically favoring shaded or moist environments where the energetic costs of the C3 pathway are offset by the availability of moisture. As a C3 plant, its carbon fixation process relies heavily on the enzyme RuBisCO, making its physiological performance sensitive to photorespiration rates when exposed to high light intensities or significant thermal stress. This metabolic framework, combined with its specialized leaf morphology, governs its gas exchange dynamics, transpiration rates, and overall energy assimilation patterns within its ecological niche.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Adiantum latifolium has 4 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antiinflammatory, Antinociceptive, Anxiolytic.

Analgesic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiinflammatory

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antinociceptive

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Anxiolytic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Medicinal Uses

Adiantum latifolium has 4 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include analgesic, anxiolytic, inflammation, pain.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations