Ceratopteris thalictroides

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Ceratopteris thalictroides or
Species name: Ceratopteris thalictroides

Ceratopteris species are aquatic pteridophytic ferns, generally found in tropical regions. They require a warm climate and lots of water. Two species - C. pteridoides and C. thalictroides are found in India. C. thalictroides or watersprite is used as an ornamental plant in aquariums. It is also cultivated as a vegetable for including in salads, due to its several curly leaves.


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Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Names of users who have contributed to this species page Gauravm
Date on which this page was first created 2010/08/21
This page was last modified on: 6 September 2010 15:09:44
Name of the species Ceratopteris thalictroides
ID on Encyclopedia of Life
Synonyms Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms.
Common English Names Water sprite, Indian fern, Water fern, Oriental waterfern, Water hornfern
Common Hindi Names
Common Indian names Panirkarela (Misc) Sasya Sampada
Origins/Meanings of the common names

Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life

If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID

{{#EoLOnlyHierarchy:}} 

Taxonomy filled in form

Angiosperm phylogeny. This image is copyrighted. Rights owned by Theodore C.H.Cole (Heidelberg) and Hartmut H. Hilger (Berlin) 2010. Please obtain copyright permissions before reuse.
Click here for the PDF of the phylogeny
Taxon Value
Regnum (Kingdom) Plantae
Division Pteridophyta
Class Filicopsida
Order Polypodiales
Family Parkeriaceae
Genus Ceratopteris
Source of data Encyclopedia of Life

Other closely related species

SpeciesDivisionCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Equisetum ramosissimumBranched Horsetail
Marsilea minutaDwarf waterclover, Small watercloverचौपतिरा Chaupatira
Ceratopteris pteridoidesFloating antlerfern
… further results
SpeciesClassCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Marsilea minutaFilicopsidaDwarf waterclover, Small watercloverचौपतिरा Chaupatira
Ceratopteris pteridoidesFilicopsidaFloating antlerfern
Acrostichum aureumFilicopsidaGolden leatherfern, Mangrove fern
… further results
SpeciesOrderCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Ceratopteris pteridoidesPolypodialesFloating antlerfern
Acrostichum aureumPolypodialesGolden leatherfern, Mangrove fern
Microsorum pteropusPolypodialesJava fern
… further results
SpeciesFamilyCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Ceratopteris pteridoidesParkeriaceaeFloating antlerfern
Acrostichum aureumParkeriaceaeGolden leatherfern, Mangrove fern
Ceratopteris thalictroidesParkeriaceaeWater sprite, Indian fern, Water fern, Oriental waterfern, Water hornfern
SpeciesGenusCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Ceratopteris pteridoidesCeratopterisFloating antlerfern
Ceratopteris thalictroidesCeratopterisWater sprite, Indian fern, Water fern, Oriental waterfern, Water hornfern

Based on classification

More details can be found in the Binomial Classification section.

Morphology from Encyclopedia of Life

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General morphology

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
General morphological features of the plant Plants usually rooted in mud, very variable in size and appearance, scales on rhizome peltate, thin , translucent, pale brown, (under a lens clear with dark cell walls) stipes 3 – 15 mm diameter in mature plants, spongy and air filled, sterile fronds pale green, thin, flaccid and spreading, 4 – 60 cm long, including a stipe c. half this length, fertile fronds pale green, to brown when over mature, firm, held erect, 15 – 100 cm or more long, including stipe to 40 cm long, proliferous or dormant buds with overlapping dark scales sometimes present in the axils of fertile pinnae (twice seen), sterile axes obviously winged, pinnae basically broad-ovate or deltoid with a few blunt lobes, sometimes more deeply incised, the segments 2 - 15 x 10 – 30 mm, fertile segments linear, 1 - 2 x 10 – 80 mm."Plants usually rooted in mud, very variable in size and appearance, scales on rhizome peltate, thin , translucent, pale brown, (under a lens clear with dark cell walls) stipes 3 – 15 mm diameter in mature plants, spongy and air filled, sterile fronds pale green, thin, flaccid and spreading, 4 – 60 cm long, including a stipe c. half this length, fertile fronds pale green, to brown when over mature, firm, held erect, 15 – 100 cm or more long, including stipe to 40 cm long, proliferous or dormant buds with overlapping dark scales sometimes present in the axils of fertile pinnae (twice seen), sterile axes obviously winged, pinnae basically broad-ovate or deltoid with a few blunt lobes, sometimes more deeply incised, the segments 2 - 15 x 10 – 30 mm, fertile segments linear, 1 - 2 x 10 – 80 mm." cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. Wikipedia
Seed dispersal mechanism
Bloom type Annual, Perennial Cook
Life cycle of the plant The lower leaves are sterile, upper leaves bear buds which can grow into whole plants. Juveniles are free floating or submerged while adults can be submerged, free floating or emergent. The spores are presumably dispersed by water. Cook

How to identify this species

For a detailed description, refer to the General Morphology details above

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Type of plant Fern
Plant height Up to 3 feet
Flower color
Flower shape
Floral symmetry
Phyllotaxy of leaves
Leaf shape
Is the leaf petiolated or sessile? Petiolated Cook
Is the leaf simple or compound? Simple Cook

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
IUCN Conservation Status Not Evaluated EoL
Indian States in which the species has been documented Assam,Andhra Pradesh,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,Arunachal Pradesh,Bihar,Goa,Gujarat,Karnataka,Kerala,Maharashtra,Manipur,Meghalaya,Orissa,Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu,Tripura,Uttar Pradesh Cook, Sasya Sahyadri
Locations at which the species has been documented
Biotic zones inhabited
Details about the habitat Swampy areas, swamp forests, sago (Metroxylon) swamps, marshes, natural and man-made ponds, mostly in stagnant water bodies or in still pockets along slow flowing rivers, full sun to moderate shade, from sea level to 1300 m, but mostly less than 500 m altitude. Sometimes massed on or around logs or other floating vegetation, once recorded in a fresh-water mangrove (Sonneratia) growing among the finger-like pneumatophores. In some areas Ceratopteris exhibits a degree of seasonality, reaching maturity and shedding spores during the dry season; plants have lost nearly all sterile fronds by this stage. The species has been reported to functionally be an annual, repopulating from spore the next season, but it is clearly of indefinite lifespan in cultivation. Wikipedia
Is this species native to India?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats?

Plant is not native or native status not filled in

If no maps are displayed below, it means the required data is absent. Click on "Edit with form" button on top of the page to add this information.
{{#generateMap:Assam,Andhra Pradesh,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,Arunachal Pradesh,Bihar,Goa,Gujarat,Karnataka,Kerala,Maharashtra,Manipur,Meghalaya,Orissa,Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu,Tripura,Uttar Pradesh|Ceratopteristhalictroides_brahma.svg|align=center}}

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Does this species have any medicinal use? Yes

Other plants of the same family having medicinal use:

Species nameCommon nameCommon Hindi nameFamilyAilment typeMedicinal use description
Acrostichum aureumGolden leatherfern, Mangrove fernParkeriaceaeAccidentsThe methanolic extract of this plant has been shown to have selective toxicity against different cancerous cell lines and low toxicity to mouse fibroblasts. This cytotoxic activity on cancerous cells has been reported for HeLa cells too. In folk medicine, rhizomes are pounded into a paste and applied on wounds. Leaves are used to stop bleeding.
Ceratopteris thalictroidesWater sprite, Indian fern, Water fern, Oriental waterfern, Water hornfernParkeriaceaeAccidentsLeaf powder along with tumeric is applied to unhealed wounds.
Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
General types of ailments this species is used for treating Accidents
Specific ailments for which the species is used Wound Stuartxchange (untrusted)
Medicinal systems which use this plant Folk Medicine Stuartxchange (untrusted)
Details of Medicinal use Leaf powder along with tumeric is applied to unhealed wounds.
Parts of the plant used for treatment Leaves
Names of some medicinal active compounds in this plant, if known.
Details of the active chemical compounds found in this plant
Is the molecular basis of the medicinal action known?
Details of molecular basis of action
Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known? Yes Wikipedia
Details of the toxic effects of the plant species Excessive intake may cause cancer. Wikipedia (uncited comment)
Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant?
Details of the clinical studies related to the plant species

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Is this plant/plant-derived product used in food preparations? Yes User-reported
Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations Leaves
Details of use in food preparations Plant used in cooking in Madagascar, Malaysia and some other parts of the world. Grown as a vegetable in India and used in salads (Ref: Cook).
Does this species have any religious significance?
Religions which mention/give significance to this species
Religious occasions
Details of religious use

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Is this plant cultivated commercially in India? Yes Wikipedia, Cook
Uses for which the plant is commercially cultivated Human consumption, Ornamental use
Plant parts of commercial value
Products where this plant is used User-reported
Description of use Mostly used in cooking. It is also used as an ornamental plant in aquariums. Cook
States where this plant is cultivated commercially
Best period for planting this plant
Best period for harvesting this plant
Method of propagation
Water requirement of this plant High
Pests and Diseases affecting this plant during cultivation
Other considerations while cultivating this plant It grows best in soil with a pH reading of 5-9 and in very high amounts of light. It usually grows quickly.

Ceratopteris thalictroides can benefit well (like all aquatic plants) from the addition of CO2. The plants reproductive technique is similar to other ferns; small plantlets are grown on the mother plant and are then released when ready.

It can provide useful shade to shyer fish and small fry. The dense roots are said to take nutrients out of the water helping to prevent the growth of algae.

Wikipedia


Pubmed Word cloud

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  • If there is an error message below, it means that there is no retrievable information available on NCBI
  • If the number of nucleotide sequences is less than 100, very little genomic work has been done on this species. A respectable number of nucleotide sequences is above 10000.
  • Most of the nucleotide sequences may come from three sources:
  1. Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
  2. Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
  3. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) which can tell about which genes are present and expressed in the species at a particular time in the given tissue

{{#queryDB:taxonomy |Ceratopteris thalictroides }}

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species Not much information is present. People have sequenced the genomic sequence of the LEAFY gene which is responsible for leaf development in plants. (Aug 2010). NCBI Taxonomy
Are herbarium specimen available for this species?
Institutes having herbarium samples

References

Cook (Book) : Christopher DK Cook (1996),', ISBN: 0198548214


EoL (Web): Encyclopedia of Life, Accessdate=2010-08-21


Stuartxchange (Web): Stuartxchange entry on watersprite, Accessdate=2010-08-21