About Acrostichum speciosum Willd.
Acrostichum speciosum, commonly known as the mangrove fern, is a widespread fern species native to Asia, Madagascar, and Australia. This clumping plant grows up to 1.5 metres tall. Its fertile fronds have a reddish-brown colour, and its leaves end in pointed tips. In Australia, its range extends as far south as New South Wales. While it can occasionally be spotted on coastal cliffs, it most commonly grows in tidal flats, brackish swamps, and in association with mangroves. Its specific epithet "speciosum" refers to the plant’s attractive appearance. The species was first formally described in scientific literature in 1810, when Carl Ludwig Willdenow published it in Species Plantarum. Today, it is classified in the Parkerioideae subfamily of the fern family Pteridaceae.
