Pteris vittata L.
Family: Pteridaceae
Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Polypodiopsida > Polypodiales > Pteridaceae > Pteris > P. vittata
Common name [English]: Chinese ladder brake
Vernacular name [Malayalam]:
Nativity: Asia, southern Europe, tropical Africa and Australia
Habitat: Growing in a vide range of habitats from side of canal, stone walls of buildings to earth cuttings from sea level to forest areas.
Description: Terrestrial herbs, 10- 80 cm height; rhizome erect, densely scaly; scales 3 x 1 cm, lanceolate, entire, pale brown; leaves simple pinnate, pale green, to 5-80 x 5-40 cm, stipe 2-50 cm long, green, scaly, grooved above, rounded below; lamina: simple pinnate, pale green; pinnae, oblong, acuminate ore linear, gradually reduced towards base, basal pinnae ovate or oblong, auricled, sori linear along the margins, covered by translucent reflexed margins; spores trilete, pale brown.
Flowering and Fruiting : Throughout the year
Uses : Although it grows readily in the wild, Pteris vittata is sometimes cultivated. It is grown in gardens for its attractive appearance, or used in pollution control schemes: it is known to be a hyper accumulator plant of arsenic used in phytoremediation.
Cultivation : Common
References
http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org
https://indiabiodiversity.org