# Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'



## Cavan Allen

I've had this one for almost a year and have to say that of all the plants I've kept, it is definitely one of my favorites. The leaf texture is superb! I thought that it might be just like the narrow leaf but with the hammered look. It isn't. Leaves are intermediate in width between narrow and normal Java ferns. 

Why isn't it more popular? I have to plead ingnorance on that one. It's almost as if I have to beg people to take plantlets sometimes! 

From one small plant, I've finally grown enough to use it for the role for which I've envisioned in my 'aquascape'. I understand, though, that not everyone has had the same success. Apparently, the same old 'can't kill it' rule does not apply to this variety. This includes some very experienced plant growers, so it's not as though anyone has subjected it to substandard conditions or anything. In some instances, it has simply failed to thrive, while in others, it has melted down to almost nothing.

From time to time, I see a leaf that looks somewhat crinkled and dark, but it has never gotten out of hand. I did notice that a plant I rubber banded to a rock and placed in a darker location had that sort of thing happen to it. Could it require more light than is usual for Microsorum? It says on the Tropica site that it grows out into estuaries. Does it have unusual requirements? My water is pretty soft and acidic, so if anything, I'm leaning towards a light issue. 

I've noticed too that some leaves look as though something has eaten holes in them! SAEs? I believe David mentioned seeing this. 

Would anyone else growing this wonderful plant mind sharing their experiences? I'm going to try some in lower light situations to see how it does there.


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## Piscesgirl

I've had this on my 'wish' list for some time, Cavan -- the only time I saw it offered was on Aquabid and I wasn't willing to pay the price it went for  Would definitely appreciate thoughts on how to raise it if I ever do acquire it; as it is, I have trouble with Java ferns in my soft water (does much better in my Onyx sand tank!).


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## Raul-7

I had the pleasure to grow this plant, along with M. pteropus 'Kringelli', but unfortunately the 'Philippine' species melted away after an algae attack. Cavan hit the nail right on the head with the description, the leaf texture is amazing with it's slightly bullated leaves and the leaf width is perfect for aquascaping. Maybe I'll take another shot at it this summer when I setup my next aquascape.


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## david lim

Hey cavan,
Ever since it's established inside my high light 58g it's been growin beautifully. I believe that once 7-10 leaves have become fully grown I haven't noticed the plant accumulating holes. I also started to dose CaI2 from seachem about the same time that the holes started disappearing. I didn't take a real scientific approach into finding a solution but the leaves are looking great. I guess it might not be the snails which I originally assumed.

David

raul- kringelli?!? What is that? Never seen or heard of it before. could you do a plant profile of it (so I don't jack this thread :0)?


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## greenisgood

I think I have this plant, and I have been throwing away the extras. How can I tell if it is 'Philippine' or not? It is about half the size of normal Java fern and does great in very soft water.

Donna


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## Aaron

This too is my favorite aquatic Microsorium. It is also the most delicate. It does not like acidic or old water. I made the mistake of using my mother plant in a breeder tank for some Betta albimarginata and the fern now resembles swiss cheese Like all my ferns, it does best in clean cool water with params in the middle range. I wonder if this plant is found near Crypts like aponogetifolia, usteriana, and coronata? I know these plants grow in streams with hard and alkaline water.

yeah Raul, what's sp. Kringelli? do you have a pic?

Greenisgood, This plant will grow about 7 to 9 inches tall. It's most distinguishing feature is the bullated or hammered surface of the leaf. The leaf itself is very thin (the thickness of the leaf, not the width) and is almost translucent. On growing tips, the leaf is almost transparent. I have also noticed that on old plants, leaves can go bilobate. (is that a word?) On others like regular JF and Tropica, old plants will throw trilobate leaves.

Picesgirl, I can help you. PM me.

Here is a closeup of the leaf. I back lit the shot to show transulcency and texture.


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## greenisgood

Yep, that's what I have. Thanks for the info.

D.


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## cS

These photos were originally taken from Oliver Knott's website (www.aquarien.plantella.de) which has been dead for quite a while now. I hope he doesn't mind me archiving and reposting defunct photos.

_Microsorum pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf' (left) and _Microsorum pteropus_ 'Philippine' (right)









_Microsorum pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf'









_Microsorum pteropus_ 'Philippine'









I recall three other photographs that show the difference between these two species in close-up but I can't find them on my computer.


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## Raul-7

cS those are great comparison pictures, now I wish we really had access to Tropica plants. Maybe we should move to Canada? ;P

And about M. pteropus 'Kringelli' it turns out that name is an error (it was given to me under that name though), this "Kringelli" is actually M. pteropus 'Undulata'. I don't actually have a picture, but I can describe it: the leaves are a lighter green than the regular Microsorum, but the leaf-width is similar; they're ruffled and hammered out, but it does lack the texture found on the 'Philippine' species. It's a really beautiful species, great for any midground instead of the usual Anubias, Bolbitis, etc.

Here's an emersed pic- http://www.aquartica.dk/default.asp?id=463


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## Cavan Allen

_Microsorum pteropus 'Undulata'_ is a nice one (variety, not species). It is also HUGE. I'd say it might be almost twice the size of the normal kind.

Aaron,

What you said about Philippine not liking very acid conditions makes sense. My pH gets down around 6.6 and the water is soft. I still see some of the problems I've described, but only here and there. A friend of mine put some in his Tonina tank, and it almost dissolved. I've actually managed to grow both in my tank, but my Tonina could be healthier, and it's not an ideal compromise.


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## freshreef

i just got them two- u can c the difference easy when they both in your hands though


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## david lim

cS said:


> These photos were originally taken from Oliver Knott's website (www.aquarien.plantella.de) which has been dead for quite a while now. I hope he doesn't mind me archiving and reposting defunct photos.
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> _Microsorum pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf' (left) and _Microsorum pteropus_ 'Philippine' (right)
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> _Microsorum pteropus_ 'Philippine'
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> I recall three other photographs that show the difference between these two species in close-up but I can't find them on my computer.


I remember these pictures and noted that my narrow-leaf variety is much thinner then the narrow leaf here and also it is not as bullated (is that a word?). The texture of my NL is not as nice as the NL that tropica offers.


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## cS

david lim said:


> I remember these pictures and noted that my narrow-leaf variety is much thinner then the narrow leaf here and also it is not as bullated (is that a word?). The texture of my NL is not as nice as the NL that tropica offers.


Your _Microsorum pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf' is most likely the same as those shown in the photos David. The difference is that the ones in the photos are emersed grown. Most of the emersed "bulbation" (is this a word?) and some of the leaf width will be diminished once submersed. The _M. pteropus_ 'Philippine', on the other hand, will not lose its bulbated texture. Here are some photographs of Tropica's emersed setup. Again, these photos were taken from Oliver's old website, documenting his visit to the Tropica nursery.




























Notwithstanding, I have seen a report of a plant called _M. pteropus_ 'Needle Leaf' (pictured below, courtesy of Apisto). Its leaves do appear thinner than the regular _M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf'. But not having had an opportunity to examine it first hand, I do not know if it is a result of growing conditions or if it is a distinct variety. One of our moderators claim to have a specimen of this plant. Perhaps s/he will share some definitive information. 










But getting back on topic, I just took a comparison photo of _M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf' (*left*) and _M. pteropus_ 'Philippine' (*right*).










All in all, I am aware of the following varieties of _M. pteropus_ within the hobby:

_M. pteropus_
_M. pteropus_ 'Dwarf'*
_M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf'
_M. pteropus_ 'Needle Leaf'**
_M. pteropus_ 'Philippine'
_M. pteropus_ 'Red'
_M. pteropus_ 'Reverse Tropica'
_M. pteropus_ 'Split Narrow Leaf'**
_M. pteropus_ 'Tropica'***
_M. pteropus_ 'Undulata'
_M. pteropus_ 'Windelov'

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*There have been three reported claims on the existence of the dwarf versions of regular java fern, 'Windelov', and 'Narrow Leaf'. With the exception of the dwarf 'Windelov' (pending verification), the others have proven to be false. They turned out to be stunted/immature plants.

**Pending verification

***Karen Randall reports (on the authority of Tropica Denmark and her own experience) that this cultivar will eventually revert back to the regular M. pteropus. She also believes that all the plants in the hobby have already reverted back. Whether or not this is true, I do not know; but I do know of 3 hobbyists who still have the unreverted plant. They currently are in hiding. :mrgreen:_


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## Cavan Allen

The unreverted 'Tropica' fern does exist in the hobby....

Look at the picture here. I think I've shown it before somewhere, but it's just so cool! Pay careful attention to the sori. In _M. pteropus_ , they are randomly scattered about the underside of the leaves. These are not. It grows to about seven inches tall (so far anyway). I don't know what species it might be. Is it the 'dwarf'? Maybe!


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## Aaron

I can't confirm this right now but the narrow leaf variety is not pteropus, but its own species. I'll go look for the name...
I would not be surprised if "Philippines" is its own species too. Microsorium is a big genus where many species grow strictly terrestrial.

cS,
So you've seen reverse tropica? do you know its origins? Also, has Tropica come out and say var 'Tropica' will revert back to normal? I know they were still producing this plant and distributing it as of last summer. I know of a couple of plants that were bought from Tropica 8 years ago that have not reverted. 

Sorry to go off topic, but I think this is all relevant.


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## Cavan Allen

The more I examine the issue, the more I think that there is not just one _Microsorum_ (not Microsorium) species in the hobby. I've heard the narrow leaf referred to as _Microsorum brassii_ (sometimes with one I). There really just seems to be a dearth of _Microsorum_ specialists and not a whole lot of reliable information out there.

A picture of the 'reverse Tropica' is here (spelled incorrectly with more than one I):

http://www.rva.ne.jp/plants/microsorium_sp_revers.htm

Oliver Knott told me that Tropica does still produce the 'Tropica' java fern but only pumps out about 100 pots of it yearly. That's it. Supposedly, it has a lot to do with the fact that plantlets are almost always 'normal' in appearance. I do, however, have one that has a denatate leaf.


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## david lim

cS said:


> Your _Microsorum pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf' is most likely the same as those shown in the photos David. The difference is that the ones in the photos are emersed grown. Most of the emersed "bulbation" (is this a word?) and some of the leaf width will be diminished once submersed. The _M. pteropus_ 'Philippine', on the other hand, will not lose its bulbated texture. Here are some photographs of Tropica's emersed setup. Again, these photos were taken from Oliver's old website, documenting his visit to the Tropica nursery.
> 
> Notwithstanding, I have seen a report of a plant called _M. pteropus_ 'Needle Leaf' (pictured below, courtesy of Apisto). Its leaves do appear thinner than the regular _M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf'. But not having had an opportunity to examine it first hand, I do not know if it is a result of growing conditions or if it is a distinct variety. One of our moderators claim to have a specimen of this plant. Perhaps s/he will share some definitive information.
> 
> But getting back on topic, I just took a comparison photo of _M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf' (*left*) and _M. pteropus_ 'Philippine' (*right*).
> 
> All in all, I am aware of the following varieties of _M. pteropus_ within the hobby:
> 
> _M. pteropus_
> _M. pteropus_ 'Dwarf'*
> _M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf'
> _M. pteropus_ 'Needle Leaf'**
> _M. pteropus_ 'Philippine'
> _M. pteropus_ 'Red'
> _M. pteropus_ 'Reverse Tropica'
> _M. pteropus_ 'Split Narrow Leaf'**
> _M. pteropus_ 'Tropica'***
> _M. pteropus_ 'Undulata'
> _M. pteropus_ 'Windelov'


Thanks for the clarification cS. I remember seeing someone bringing up the Needle Leaf awhile back in the "New Plants" category and I'd asked how if it's leaves are longer "Narrow Leaf" but no response.

I was always under the impression, like cavan said, that the "Tropica" variety's plantlets are all reverted back to normal whereas the mother plant remains unreverted. Am I wrong?


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## Gomer

I have a bunch of "needle leaf" from both parent plant and plantlets...no reversion at all


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## apisto

cS said:


> Notwithstanding, I have seen a report of a plant called _M. pteropus_ 'Needle Leaf' (pictured below, courtesy of Apisto). Its leaves do appear thinner than the regular _M. pteropus_ 'Narrow Leaf'. But not having had an opportunity to examine it first hand, I do not know if it is a result of growing conditions or if it is a distinct variety. One of our moderators claim to have a specimen of this plant. Perhaps s/he will share some definitive information.


This plant is mine, and now covering the complete wall. Yes it is a true needle leaf, it does not revert. we kind of guessed it is the M. brassii from a herbarium piece (link follows). This plant is in several tanks of my aquariumsociety, and everywhere it stays this way, mine is finally (after three years) giving plantlets on the leaves.

Link: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/gft.pl?gft=377990

Care for some, cS?


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## victri

Hey Erik,

What's the average length and width for the individual leaves on yours? Here's a pic of a huge bunch that grew from about only 10 leaves.


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## apisto

victri said:


> Hey Erik,
> 
> What's the average length and width for the individual leaves on yours? Here's a pic of a huge bunch that grew from about only 10 leaves.


Hi Vic,

Well the leaves are 10 cm or so, tonight when I'm at home I'll measure one. At tha moment it is growing fine and giving lot of plantlets, so i'm propagating this very well.


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## AaronT

Gomer said:


> I have a bunch of "needle leaf" from both parent plant and plantlets...no reversion at all


Is this the one that you sent to me Tony?


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