Name: Davalliaceae
Meaning of Name:
Davalliaceae, after 18th century Swiss botanist E. Davall + Latin -āceae (the feminine plural of -āceus, ‘resembling’, a suffix used to form the taxonomic family names of plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi)
Common Names:
None
Botanical Information:
The Davalliaceae family contains a single genus, Davallia, within which are about 40 fern species.
Davallia ferns are epiphytic (growing on trees without harming them) or epipetric (growing on the surface of rocks). They are especially known for their furry creeping rhizomes resembling animals’ feet, hence the ferns are often referred to as ‘rabbit’s foot fern’, ‘hare’s foot fern’, ‘deer’s foot fern’ , and ‘squirrel’s foot fern’. Another name is ‘ball fern’, after the rhizomes’ habit of growing over and around pots to create a ball-like shape.
The photo chosen to illustrate this family shows a close-up of the rhizome of a Davallia sp..
Image copyright © Optimate Group Pty Ltd
