‘Ō‘aha can settle on rock or use another plant as support. The guide records this bird’s-nest fern on nearly all of Tetiaroa’s motu.
- Local names
- 'ō'aha (Society Islands)
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
- Family
- Aspleniaceae
- Biogeographical status
- Native
- Life form
- Fern
- Abundance
- Common
- Ecosystem
- Mixed forest
About this species
The fern occurs across the Polynesian archipelagos. It can grow as an epiphyte, supported by another plant, or as a rock-dwelling, saxicolous plant. Both habits help explain where to look for it.
It is mainly grown as an ornamental in French Polynesia. The guide records traditional medicinal uses on other Pacific islands, including Vanuatu.