Schizaea dichotoma
Content
Distribution
Asia-Tropical, Australasia, Burma present, Ceylon present, East Java absent, Lesser Sunda Isl absent, Malaysia present, Mascarene Isl present, New Zealand present, S. India present, Siam present, Tahiti present
Mascarene Isl., Ceylon and S. India, Burma, Siam, Indochina, throughout Malaysia except for East Java and Lesser Sunda Isl., to Tahiti, Australia, and New Zealand.
Uses
Heyne records medicinal use (in Billiton) for coughs and affections of the throat and also in childbirth.
Notes
Small plants like those named S. biroi and S. copelandica by Richter are not uncommon, and have been found at many places near larger plants. As pointed out by Troll (l.c.) the small little-branched fronds of these small plants are usually fertile, whereas some fronds of much larger plants are sometimes sterile. I have however examined a very large number of specimens and have failed to find any sharp distinction between those with little-branched and much-branched fronds. If one picks out individual specimens, one can separate fronds with long and with short ultimate branches; but in some cases fronds from one collection may show ultimate branches of very diverse length.
Citation
Hook. & Grev. 1827: Ic. Fil.: t. 17
Holtt. 1955: Ferns Mal: 50: fig. 6
Prantl 1881 – In: Unters. Morph. Gefässkr.: 138
Backer & Posth. 1939: Varenfl. Java: 256: fig. 66
Bedd. 1863: Ferns S. India: t. 65
Bl. 1828: En. Pl. Jav.: 255
v.A.v.R. 1908: Mal. Ferns: 116
Merr. 1917: Int. Rumph.: 69
Sm. 1883: Handb.: 452
Racib. 1898: Pterid. Buit.: 6
Troll 1933: p. 339. – In: Flora: fig. 1