Lecanopteris is a genus of epiphytic ferns belonging to the family Polypodiaceae (subfamily Microsoroideae), placed in the order Polypodiales. The genus is classified according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group system of 2016 (PPG I) and contains approximately 12 accepted species.
The most distinctive feature of Lecanopteris ferns is their swollen, hollow rhizomes, which serve as ready-made galleries for colonies of symbiotic ants. This ant-plant association is highly characteristic of the genus and has made these ferns subjects of ecological interest. The ants are thought to benefit the ferns by deterring herbivores and potentially contributing nutrients to the plant through their waste within the rhizome chambers.
All species in the genus are epiphytes — plants that grow on other plants rather than in soil — and their native range spans from Southeast Asia to New Guinea, encompassing tropical forest environments across this broad region. Several species, including Lecanopteris carnosa, L. sinuosa, and L. mirabilis, have entered cultivation and are grown as houseplants and greenhouse curiosities, prized for their unusual architecture.
Distribution
All species of Lecanopteris are native to a range extending from Southeast Asia to New Guinea, where they grow as epiphytes in tropical forest habitats.
Ecology
Lecanopteris ferns form a notable symbiotic relationship with ants, which colonise the swollen hollow rhizomes. This myrmecophytic association is a defining ecological trait of the genus.
Taxonomy Notes
Lecanopteris is placed in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Microsoroideae, under the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). GBIF recognises it in the order Polypodiales, class Polypodiopsida. The Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World (as of February 2020) lists 13 species in Lecanopteris sensu stricto; GBIF currently recognises 12 accepted descendants.
