Angiopteris evecta (Forst.) Hoffm.

A tree fern. It grows to 6 m high. The crown can be 12 m across. The erect rhizome or trunk can be 1 m high and 80 cm across in older plants. This trunk is fleshy with thick fleshy roots. It can just have a tuft of leaves coming from near ground level. Because there is no hard tissue, the water pressure inside the stalk keeps the leaves erect. This frond will therefore collapse in dry weather. Where the stem of the frond joins the trunk is a large ear-shaped leafy structure (stipule). The leaves are 2-7 m long and 1-2.5 m wide. The leaves can be divided 2 to 4 times. The small leaflets are 13 cm long and finely toothed around the edge. There are 3-7 pairs of spore bearing organs in double rows along the veins. The fronds are very fleshy and contain a lot of starch.

A tropical plant. It is a lowland forest plant. They grow naturally on fertile, moist soil in the rain forest. Often they are near streams and waterfalls. It suits humid locations. They commonly grow in partial shade. They grow from sea level to 700 m altitude. In the Himalayas it grows up to 2,100 m above sea level. They can survive some frost once plants are 3-4 years old. They cannot tolerate dry conditions. In Adelaide Botanical Gardens hot house. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

The young fiddle heads or unopened young fronds are eaten. The swollen leaf base is mixed with other vegetables. Flour can be made from the stalks and rhizomes.

They are normally grown from the stipules or leafy structure at the base of the leaflet. It may take 12-18 months for the shoots to form. It is difficult to grow this fern from spores. Small plantlets already developing from the base of the fronds can be removed and planted.