variety Microsorum & Narrow Tropica

[Alex007]

Hello, what is the origin of Microsorum "Narrow" Tropica? is a cultivar?
And.... varieties of these Microsorum(photographed by Michael LO) ?
1
http://junglemikey.blogspot.it/search?q=microsorum

 

[Alex007]

2 http://junglemikey.blogspot.it/search?q=microsorium

 

[Heiko Muth (Sumpfheini)]

Hi Alex,

the topic 'Narrow' is somewhat confusing, here I wrote about 3 M. pteropus forms that are i.a. called 'Narrow' (still in German only): http://aquascaping.flowgrow.de/aquascaping/wasserpflanzen/item/190-narrow-needle-mini-oder-taiwan-javafarn-was-ist-was?
The Tropica 'Narrow' is named as a cultivar (with single quotation mark), but it is likely a selection from plants found in the nature. Perhaps Claus Christensen could tell more. As far as I've read, quite narrow, small forms of M. pteropus are widespread in tropical Asia, partly occurring together with bigger, broader "normal" forms. Christel Kasselmann showed in a DATZ article (2005) a narrow form in Papua New Guinea, looking similar to the Tropica 'Narrow'.
Junglemike's photos are interesting, the fern looks like "Farn 2" (M. pteropus "Taiwan") in my article above.

Gruß
Heiko

 

[Heiko Muth (Sumpfheini)]

addition:
The fern in the 2nd set of pics - after Cryptocoryne bullosa -
http://junglemikey.blogspot.it/search?q=microsorium
may be something different from Microsorum pteropus. Threre's a number of rheophytic (adapted to strong current) fern species on Borneo, partly with similar leaf form. E.g. some Leptochilus and Bolbitis species. Venation pattern and spore-bearing leaves would be needed for ID.

Btw., Junglemike writes that the genus name of M. pteropus has changed from Microsorum to Colysis => Colysis pteropus. This combination was made by M.T.M. Bosman in 1991, however it isn't commonly accepted by botanists.
The newest combination of the name, considering the relationship of that species, is Leptochilus pteropus, made by the author Fraser-Jenkins in a book about Indian ferns (2008).
However, I stick to the name Microsorum pteropus for now, to avoid confusion.

Gruß
Heiko