Macrothelypteris torresiana(Gaudich.) Ching

swordfern

WFO wfo-0001107352 Accepted WFO 2026-06 8 photographs CC0 / CC BY

Plate 1 figs. a–h · 8 separate observations

Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Ryan Watson
fig. a Ryan Watson, CC BY 4.0 / 2022-04-08 / obs. 186938009
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Josiah Londerée
fig. b Josiah Londerée, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 182347495
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Adam Pitcher
fig. c Adam Pitcher, CC0 1.0 / obs. 174638358
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Leila Dasher
fig. d Leila Dasher, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 158505696
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Leila Dasher
fig. e Leila Dasher, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 157935700
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by John Abrams
fig. f John Abrams, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 144516521
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Cole Shoemaker
fig. g Cole Shoemaker, CC BY 4.0 / obs. 143939535
Macrothelypteris torresiana, photographed by Kristi Zoebelein
fig. h Kristi Zoebelein, CC0 1.0 / obs. 143215317

Every figure is a research-grade observation under CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA, rehosted with the photographer’s name, the licence and the observation it came from. Photographs under a NonCommercial licence are excluded from this site and are never stored, which costs us a great many pictures and is not negotiable.

Native range 51 botanical countries

Regions where Macrothelypteris torresiana is native: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Japan, Korea, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan, Tibet, Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, East Himalaya, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Kermadec Is., New South Wales, New Zealand North, Norfolk Is., Queensland, Western Australia, Caroline Is., Cook Is., Fiji, Marianas, New Caledonia, Samoa, Society Is., Tonga, Tubuai Is., Vanuatu, Wallis-Futuna Is. MadagascarChina South-CentralChina SoutheastHainanJapanTaiwanTibetAssamBangladeshBorneoEast HimalayaIndiaJawaLaosLesser Sunda Is.MalayaMalukuMyanmarNepalNew GuineaPhilippinesSolomon Is.Sri LankaSulawesiSumateraThailandVietnamWest HimalayaNew South WalesNew Zealand NorthQueenslandWestern AustraliaFijiNew Caledonia ComorosMauritiusRéunionSeychellesKoreaNansei-shotoKermadec Is.Norfolk Is.Caroline Is.Cook Is.MarianasSamoaSociety Is.TongaTubuai Is.VanuatuWallis-Futuna Is.
Native distribution of Macrothelypteris torresiana, after Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where the plant is from, not everywhere it now grows. Regions too small to draw at this scale are marked with a dot.
RegionTDWG codeContinent
Assam ASS ASIA-TROPICAL
Bangladesh BAN
Borneo BOR
East Himalaya EHM
India IND
Jawa JAW
Laos LAO
Lesser Sunda Is. LSI
Malaya MLY
Maluku MOL
Myanmar MYA
Nepal NEP
New Guinea NWG
Philippines PHI
Solomon Is. SOL
Sri Lanka SRL
Sulawesi SUL
Sumatera SUM
Thailand THA
Vietnam VIE
West Himalaya WHM
Caroline Is. CRL PACIFIC
Cook Is. COO
Fiji FIJ
Marianas MRN
New Caledonia NWC
Samoa SAM
Society Is. SCI
Tonga TON
Tubuai Is. TUB
Vanuatu VAN
Wallis-Futuna Is. WAL
China South-Central CHC ASIA-TEMPERATE
China Southeast CHS
Hainan CHH
Japan JAP
Korea KOR
Nansei-shoto NNS
Taiwan TAI
Tibet CHT
Kermadec Is. KER AUSTRALASIA
New South Wales NSW
New Zealand North NZN
Norfolk Is. NFK
Queensland QLD
Western Australia WAU
Comoros COM AFRICA
Madagascar MDG
Mauritius MAU
Réunion REU
Seychelles SEY

Region boundaries approximated from Natural Earth (public domain) and mapped to TDWG World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD) level-3 botanical countries (Brummitt 2001). Indicative, not the official WGSRPD geometry.

Also published as 51 synonyms

A synonym is not an error. It is a record of botanists disagreeing, in print, about where this plant belongs. Each of these was somebody’s considered answer.

  • Aspidium leucopis Fée
  • Aspidium mollissimum Christ
  • Aspidium setigerum Sw.
  • Aspidium tenericaule Thwaites
  • Aspidium uliginosum Kunze
  • Aspidium vile Racib.
  • Cheilanthes setigera Blume
  • Cheilanthes stenophylla Kunze
  • Dryopteris alsophiloides (Fourn.) C.Chr.
  • Dryopteris backeri Alderw.
  • Dryopteris lasiocarpa Hayata
  • Dryopteris mollissima (Christ) C.Chr.
  • Dryopteris oligophlebia var. lasiocarpa (Hayata) Nakai
  • Dryopteris setigera (Blume) Kuntze
  • Dryopteris tenericaulis (Wall. ex Hook.) Ching
  • Dryopteris trichodes Rosenst.
  • Dryopteris uliginosa (Kunze) C.Chr.
  • Filix setigera (Blume) Farw.
  • Hypolepis javanica T.Moore
  • Hypolepis setigera (Blume) Hook.
  • Hypolepis stenophylla (Kunze) T.Moore
  • Hypolepis trichodes Fée
  • Lastrea cosmopolita Brade
  • Lastrea flaccida Bedd.

and 27 more.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. World Flora Online Plant List. accepted name, authority, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  2. iNaturalist. photographs and flowering annotations, CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA only. per photograph. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  3. Wikidata. common name (P1843), joined on the World Flora Online identifier (P7715). CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  4. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country, and life form. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.

We publish what we can source and we say so when we cannot. This page has no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not yet have those from a source we can cite.