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The giant swordfern (Nephrolepis biserrata) belongs to the Oleandraceae family. It is an evergreen fern that is native from the Tokara Islands south to the Ryukyu islands, and widely in the tropical regions. This fern is an epiphyte and grows on rocks and trees in wettish mountains, and bears drooping leaves. The leaves are once pinnatly compound with 30-60 cm long petioles and 60-200 cm long leaf-blades. The pinnae are thin and tough, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, and numerous, sometimes over 70 pair of ones. The sori are round and arranged in one rows near one third from the margins. The young shoots are used for food. The Japanese name is derived from the rectrix of Chinese phoenix and Holly fern. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "’·—tt˜n", and in Chinese "’·—tt˜n" (chong ye shen jue).
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