Dicranopteris linearis / Old World forked fern / uluhe. Kilauea Iki, Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Big Island, Hawaii, USA.

Dicranopteris linearis is known as Old World forked fern, uluhe (Hawaiian), dilim (Filipino), Climbing Fern, and False Staghorn. This fern is a keystone species in Hawaiian ecosystems and often forms deep thickets. Dicranopteris linearis is widely distributed in the wet Old World tropics, Polynesia and the Pacific. The stem grows from the rhizome, branches at a 45° angle, and forms fronds that continue to bud and branch at great length, 20+ feet. Intolerant of shade, it climbs over other plants to reach direct sunlight. As a pioneer species in ecological succession, it can colonize bare lava flows, talus, and abandoned roads. Where humans eliminate the fern, invasive non-native species of plants often move in. This fern photo is from Kilauea Iki pit crater, which last erupted in 1959, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Established in 1916 and later expanded, the park (HVNP) encompasses two active volcanoes: Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano. The park portrays the birth of the Hawaiian Islands with dramatic volcanic landscapes, native flora and fauna, and glowing flowing lava. HVNP is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

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Filename: 1701HAW-2300.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 5472x3648 / 5.9MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Plantae nature plants
Contained in galleries: 2017 Jan 16-Feb 6: Hawaii: Oahu, Kauai, Big Island, Hawaii: Big Island

Dicranopteris linearis is known as Old World forked fern, uluhe (Hawaiian), dilim (Filipino), Climbing Fern, and False Staghorn. This fern is a keystone species in Hawaiian ecosystems and often forms deep thickets. Dicranopteris linearis is widely distributed in the wet Old World tropics, Polynesia and the Pacific. The stem grows from the rhizome, branches at a 45° angle, and forms fronds that continue to bud and branch at great length, 20+ feet. Intolerant of shade, it climbs over other plants to reach direct sunlight. As a pioneer species in ecological succession, it can colonize bare lava flows, talus, and abandoned roads. Where humans eliminate the fern, invasive non-native species of plants often move in. This fern photo is from Kilauea Iki pit crater, which last erupted in 1959, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Established in 1916 and later expanded, the park (HVNP) encompasses two active volcanoes: Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano. The park portrays the birth of the Hawaiian Islands with dramatic volcanic landscapes, native flora and fauna, and glowing flowing lava. HVNP is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.