Nephrolepis cordifolia
COMMON NAME | Kupukupu or fishbone fern |
TYPE | Fern |
FAMILY | Nephrolepidaceae |
NOTES | A
type of sword fern with erect fronds standing 1-2 ft. tall and 2-3 inches
wide. Each frond is comprised of many smaller pinnae (frondlets), each about
1-11/2 inches long and about ¼ inch wide. It was often used to decorate hula
altars symbolizing that it was a place of learning, or sprouting knowledge
since the word kupu means to sprout. The fronds are also used for making lei. |
GEOGRAPHIC REGION | Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands |
NATIVE
HABITAT | Dry
to wet forests and lava fields |
WEB SOURCES |
