About Microsorum grossum (Langsd. & Fisch.) S.B.Andrews
Microsorum grossum (Langsd. & Fisch.) S.B.Andrews is a species of fern that belongs to the Polypodiaceae family. It is native to tropical regions of Australia and Oceania. It was introduced to Hawaii in the late 1910s, where it quickly naturalized and can now be found on all of Hawaii’s main islands. Its Hawaiian name, lauaʻe, is believed to have originally referred to the native Hawaiian fern Microsorum spectrum. When crushed, this fern releases a scent similar to that of maile. Small pieces of Microsorum grossum are sometimes woven into leis that are made from strung individual pandanus fruit drupes. This fern is also one of the plants used to add scent to kapa fabric.
