Taxon:  Asplenium nidus L.



Summary
Genus:
Asplenium
Family:
Aspleniaceae
Nomen number:
5590
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:1079.  1753
Verified:
04/14/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
2 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. France, F. M., ed. 2021. Ethnobotany of the mountain regions of Soueast Asia Springer Nature, Switzerland. 1:181-188.
  4. George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
  5. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  6. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  7. Khan, S. et al. 2008. In vitro propagation of bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) from spores. Pakistan J. Bot. 40:91-97.
  8. León, B. et al. 2012. Los helechos ornamentales en el Perú (The ornamental ferns of Peru) Note: Ministerio de Agricultura, Lima. Peru, and Museo de Historia Natural U.N.M.S.M.
  9. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  10. Mickel, J. T. & A. R. Smith. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88:1-1054. Note: mentions
  11. Murakami, N. et al. 1999. Molecular taxonomic study and revision of the three Japanese species of Asplenium sect. Thamnopteris. J. Pl. Res. 112:15-25. Note: this study clarify species limits in the section; morphological characters separate Asplenium nidus from A. australasicum and A. antiquum
  12. Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
  13. Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishbird's-nest fern  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Englishnest fern  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Swedishfågelbobräken  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania incl. Pemba, ZanzibarYatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapanKyushu Murakami, N. et al. 1999. Molecular taxonomic study and revision of the three Japanese species of Asplenium sect. Thamnopteris. J. Pl. Res. 112:15-25. Note: this study clarify species limits in the section; morphological characters separate Asplenium nidus from A. australasicum and A. antiquum
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapanRyukyu Islands Murakami, N. et al. 1999. Molecular taxonomic study and revision of the three Japanese species of Asplenium sect. Thamnopteris. J. Pl. Res. 112:15-25. Note: this study clarify species limits in the section; morphological characters separate Asplenium nidus from A. australasicum and A. antiquum
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentMaldives  Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaIndochina  George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesiaJawa Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesiaSumatera Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueenslandn.Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
2Cultivated    also cult.Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Native
Africa
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Tanzania (incl. Pemba, Zanzibar)
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands], Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
  • INDO-CHINA: Indochina, Thailand
  • MALESIA: Indonesia [Jawa, Sumatera], Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (n.)]
Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)
  1. George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
  2. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  3. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  4. Murakami, N. et al. 1999. Molecular taxonomic study and revision of the three Japanese species of Asplenium sect. Thamnopteris. J. Pl. Res. 112:15-25. Note: this study clarify species limits in the section; morphological characters separate Asplenium nidus from A. australasicum and A. antiquum
  5. Yatabe, Y. et al. 2009. Patterns of hybrid formation among cryptic species of bird-nest fern, Asplenium nidus complex (Aspleniaceae), in West Malesia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 160:42-63.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmentalornamental(see also under Asplenium australasicum)Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
Human foodvegetable France, F. M., ed. 2021. Ethnobotany of the mountain regions of Soueast Asia Springer Nature, Switzerland. 1:181-188.
Materialsfiberfor thatchingFrance, F. M., ed. 2021. Ethnobotany of the mountain regions of Soueast Asia Springer Nature, Switzerland. 1:181-188.
Medicinesfolklore France, F. M., ed. 2021. Ethnobotany of the mountain regions of Soueast Asia Springer Nature, Switzerland. 1:181-188.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=5590. Accessed 17 April 2026.