# New kind of Java fern??



## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Notice the rounded leaf tips and the leaves are only 2 inches long ATM. They may get a little larger as it matures. Can anyone ID it? Thanks


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

It looks like it's just normal _Microsorum pteropus_ (Java fern). It often looks like that when small.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

hhmmm, :/ here is another pic


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I still say the same thing.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Does young java fern also have the rounded leaf tips? I've never noticed. Oh well, I had my hopes up lol. Though, the leaves have been the same size for a couple of months now.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Sometimes. It displays a moderate degree of plasticity based on conditions, etc. There was some Java fern in a LFS here a few years back that looked like yours, that, according to one of the employees, had remained small for years. We managed to obtain a sample and tried it out under typical conditions. It eventually grew to normal size.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

This plant is around 5 months old. It started from a few leaves that a guy sent me on accident with a plant package that I bought. I noticed that it looked funny, so I asked him if he had any needle leaf fern in his tank. He said no, and immediately realized that it must be some of his "favorite plant"- some java fern that he got by accident and had grown a foreground out of it. He said "notice the rounded leaf tips? I think it is some kind of unidentified dwarf java fern" Then he said "It grows extremely fast for java fern and will only reach 4 inches max after several years. Take care of it, it is one of my favorite plants"


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Again, my experience is that these kinds of things usually turn out to be regular Java fern in the end. Could you have something unique that maintains unusual growth and size characteristics under varying conditions? Sure, it's possible. Is it likely? I'd say that it probably isn't. You could update us in a while, preferably after you've given it to a few different people.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Cavan Allen said:


> Again, my experience is that these kinds of things usually turn out to be regular Java fern in the end. Could you have something unique that maintains unusual growth and size characteristics under varying conditions? Sure, it's possible. Is it likely? I'd say that it probably isn't. You could update us in a while, preferably after you've given it to a few different people.


Will do. Thanks for the help


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

For anyone wondering, I still have these ferns. I'll get the occasional 4-5 inch long frond. Most stay shorter (around 3 inches or shorter).
Here is some of it in my mini m. The long frond in the front right is the largest frond to date. About 4 fronds have grown farther down the rhizome (newer fronds on the growing end of the rhizome) and they are all smaller that the two big ones in the picture.









I now believe this is java fern 'Philippine'
What do you think, Cavan?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

You don't think it might just be your tank conditions affecting the plant? I don't know enough about the various java ferns to say more than that.

Your shrimp look great by the way! Which Anubias is that in the middle of the tank?


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

I think the anubias is anubias minima. I got it from Texgal.
As for the java fern, I've kept it in five different tanks with different substrates, light levels, fert regimes, some with CO2, some without. It stays that small. The leaf tips aren't all rounded any more, but it still stays really small. I got it from Zapins a couple of years ago. It was like 3 leaves that he sent by accident with some anubias petite and I've grown it out from that.


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## herns (Aug 28, 2007)

foofooree said:


> I think the anubias is anubias minima. I got it from Texgal.
> As for the java fern, I've kept it in five different tanks with different substrates, light levels, fert regimes, some with CO2, some without. It stays that small. The leaf tips aren't all rounded any more, but it still stays really small.


Does your Java fern adhere to rock or driftwood after a long time? I had mine that seems does not attach itself to any kind. Its just floating even when I tied them with sewing thread for the first time they were planted.


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Eventually it does attach itself (but not to slate- not much attaches to slate)


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## hazardmoss (Jul 31, 2010)

foofooree said:


> Notice the rounded leaf tips and the leaves are only 2 inches long ATM. They may get a little larger as it matures. Can anyone ID it? Thanks


i think i know that .in my country they call it "spoon leaf" fern .It is in the same family with java fern


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Awesome information! Thanks!


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