Woodwardia prolifera Hook. & Arn.

Plants terrestrial. Stems stout, short-creeping to suberect, densely clothed at the apex with large, broadly to narrowly lanceolate, orange-brown scales; trophopods present. Fronds drooping, wintergreen and coriaceous, clustered near the stem apex, gemmi­ferous with scattered to numerous, articulated gemmae on the adaxial surface of the lamina, such gemmae generally positioned opposite and replacing a sorus on one or more primary areoles of the costae and costules, each gemma generally developing one or at most two elliptical fronds less than 1 cm long. Stipes 33-99 cm long, stramineous to greenish throughout, expanded at base, with two large adaxial vascular bundles and an arc of several smaller abaxial vascular bundles, densely scaly at the base and bearing scurfy remnants of multicellular glands, hairs and scales distally, the scales sometimes leaving distinct scars after abscising, especially near the stipe base. Laminae 42-126 cm long, narrowly ovate-deltate, pinnate-pinnatifid, pale green, glandular and scaly during emergence, becoming dark green and glabrous at maturity; pinnae 7-12 pairs, the proximal to medial ones 15-42 and 2-12 cm, alternately arranged, pinnatifid, narrowly ovate, basally strongly asymmetric by the reduction of several basalmost basiscopic lobes, pinna lobes falcate-ascending, narrowly ovate (broadly attached to costa, but constricted immediately above), acuminate, separated from each other by broad sinuses, coarsely serrulate along a strongly involute margin. Sori 1-3 mm long, linear-elongate to lunate, deeply immersed in the lamina, mostly confined to the primary areoles of the costules; indusia cartilaginous with a thickened basal flange and a membranous conduplicate margin, vaulted, opening along a basal hinge like the lid of a box upon dehiscence of the sporangia. Spores 64, 30-34 by 22-25 µm (exclusive of the perispore), surrounded by a tightly appressed perispore presenting a reticulum of raised narrow ridges and rugulose expanses between the ridges ornamented with aggregations of rods and cristae.

Warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical mixed broadleaf evergreen forests, frequently where there is disturbance such as roadside banks, disturbed forests, rocky ravines, and meadows. Woodwardia prolifera thrives in somewhat disturbed or open situations where it receives at least some partial sun. Fine stands of this species can be found along road-cuts and high up on stream banks and along wet cliffs. Altitude 0-1000 m.

Can be grown by divisions.