Aglaomorpha quercifolia

Aglaomorpha quercifolia (synonym Drynaria quercifolia), commonly known as the oakleaf fern or oakleaf basket fern, is a species of Aglaomorpha in the family Polypodiaceae. Other common names for the fern are pakpak lawin, gurar, koi hin, ashvakatri, kabkab, kabkaban, or uphatkarul.^[2]

Oakleaf fern
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Suborder:	Polypodiineae
Family:	Polypodiaceae
Genus:	Aglaomorpha
Species:	A. quercifolia
Binomial name
Aglaomorpha quercifolia (L.) Hovenkamp & S. Linds.
Synonyms[1]
Drynaria brancifolia (C. Presl) Moore Drynaria morbillosa (C. Presl) Moore Drynaria quercifolia (L.) J. Sm. Drynariopsis morbillosa (C. Presl) Copel. Phymatodes brancifolia (C. Presl) C. Presl Phymatodes morbillosa C. Presl Phymatodes quercifolia (L.) C. Presl Phymatodes sylvatica (Schkuhr) C. Presl Polypodium brancifolium C. Presl Polypodium conjugatum Poir. Polypodium morbillosum C. Presl Polypodium quercifolium L. Polypodium quercioides Desv. Polypodium schkuhrii Bory Polypodium siifolium Goldm. Polypodium sylvaticum Schkuhr

Distribution

Aglaomorpha quercifolia is native to India, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, and Australia.

Description

It is a large species with deeply pinnatifid foliage fronds. The nest fronds resemble the leaves of oaks, hence the common name. The sori are either scattered or arranged in two regular rows in between the secondary veins.^[3]

Sporangia

Illustration of Aglaomorpha quercifolia (as Drynaria quercifolia) in Richard Henry Beddome's "Ferns of British India, Cey;on, and the Malay Peninsula" (published 1892).

Trivia

"Kabkab", one of the plant's nicknames ("kabkaban" collectively for clumps of ferns), was the inspiration for the old name of Carcar, one of the towns of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. This was due to the abundance of these fern plants in the trunks and branches of the large trees, as well as the lowlands surrounding the area of the town. Currently, the term "kabkaban" refers to the town's local festival in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, which celebrates the town's musical history. The Kabkaban Festival is held around the 23rd to the 25th of November.