swamp vine fern

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• swamp vine fern
• Climbing Swamp fern

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Acrostichum laurifolium
• Lomaria juglandifolia
• Stenochlaena fraxinifolia
• Stenochlaena laurifolia
• Stenochlaena blumeana
• Stenochlaena haenkeana
• Stenochlaena juglandifolia
• Lomariopsis fraxinifolia
• Chrysodium palustre
• Stenochlaena hainanensis
• Lomaria haenkeana

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. It is further categorized under the subclass Polypodiinae and the order Polypodiales. Finally, it is a member of the family Aspleniaceae and is identified by the genus Stenochlaena.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. In China, it is widely documented in the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan areas. Its presence extends into the Indian Subcontinent, where it can be found in the state of Assam. Additionally, the species is recorded within the borders of Bangladesh. Together, these locations highlight the plant's preference for specific tropical and subtropical environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Stenochlaena palustris is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist in its habitat over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located high above the ground on aerial stems, a structural adaptation that defines its life form. This species maintains an evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its green foliage throughout the year rather than shedding it seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Stenochlaena palustris is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. The plant exhibits a significant range in stature, with a minimum height of 0.4 m and a maximum potential height reaching up to 20 m, maintaining a mean height of approximately 5 m. In terms of its structural habit, it is a self-supporting species, though it is classified under obligatory climbing traits within certain contexts. It functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite and is strictly terrestrial in its ecological positioning, neither acting as an epiphyte nor inhabiting aquatic or semiaquatic environments.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

20 m

Plant height mean:

5 m

Plant height min:

0.4 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Stenochlaena palustris is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency within its natural habitat. The plant does not exhibit any form of succulence, meaning it lacks specialized thickened tissues for water storage and relies on consistent environmental moisture to maintain turgor pressure. Furthermore, it does not function as a nitrogen fixer, lacking the symbiotic relationships or biological mechanisms required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, thus depending instead on available soil nutrients for its nitrogen requirements.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Stenochlaena palustris has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Malaysian journal of nutrition

Chemicals

Stenochlaena palustris has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Antioxidant, ETHYL ACETATE, Hydroxycinnamic Acids.

Antioxidant

1. Food chemistry

ETHYL ACETATE

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Hydroxycinnamic Acids

1. Food chemistry

Activities

Stenochlaena palustris has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Free-Radical Scavenging.

Free-Radical Scavenging

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Conditions

Stenochlaena palustris has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Aspergillus niger, infection, wound healing.

Aspergillus niger

1. Malaysian journal of nutrition

Infection

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Wound healing

1. Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences

Preparations

Stenochlaena palustris has 9 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Water fraction (WF), Water fraction of edible medicinal fern Stenochlaena palustris, chloroform, ethyl acetate, hexane.

Water fraction (wf)

1. Food chemistry

Water fraction of edible medicinal fern stenochlaena palustris

1. Food chemistry

Chloroform

1. Food chemistry

Ethyl acetate

1. Food chemistry

Hexane

1. Food chemistry

Leaf extract

1. Malaysian journal of nutrition

Methanol

1. Food chemistry

Methanol extract (me)

1. Food chemistry

Water

1. Food chemistry