I have been a member of BPS for many years. I recently had the privilege and pleasure of visiting Sri Lanka where I was very impressed by the great diversity of ferns and related species. Although there is a checklist available on line I have no literature on the fern flora. I have managed to identify a few species but have others for which I would be very grateful for help in identification if at all possible. This Asplenium species was photographed at Ritigala Nature Reserve, Sri Lanka on 2 March 2019. It reminds me of A.nidus-avis, but with fronds up to 2 metres long it is much larger than I have ever seen that species in cultivation. I would be very grateful if anyone could advise whether it is just that species or perhaps a related one.
Many thanks
Alan Outen
Having been to both Sri Lanka and Australia in the last three months, I am pretty certain that this is Asplenium australasicum. It is much bigger than A nidus and, on the ones I saw, the sori didn’t extend as close to the edge of the frond as they do on A nidus. So, that would be my bet.
Very many thanks Peter. Your expertise and help with this and others is greatly appreciated.
Alan
In Sri Lanka, number of introduced Asplenium species are used in the floriculture industry. Such species are closely resemble to Asplenium nidus, but need careful observations to distinguish. However, A. nidus is quite common in Sinharaja forest and nearby villages.
According to Fraser-Jenkins A. nidus is not present in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan species is Asplenium nidoides Fraser-Jenk., [in Fraser-Jenkins, Kandel & Pariyar, Ferns Fern-Allies Nepal 1: 20. 2015.]