triangle water fern

plant

Also known as: Ceratopteris richardii

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Last updated

July 22, 2026

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The triangle water fern, Ceratopteris richardii, is a small aquatic fern found in tropical and warm temperate regions worldwide. It is part of the genus Ceratopteris, which includes at least four species, often cultivated as aquarium plants. These ferns can root in mud or float on water surfaces.

Water ferns have two types of leaves: vegetative leaves, which are lobed and can produce "daughter plants" for asexual reproduction, and fertile leaves that are finely divided and bear sporangia. The rapid life cycle of Ceratopteris species makes them valuable tools for studying genetics and inheritance patterns in research and education.12

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water fern
pteridoides); triangle water fern (C. richardii); and water sprite (C. thalictroides). The plants are widespread in tropical and warm temperate regions around the world, and several are cultivated as aquarium plants. Although water ferns sometimes root in mud, more frequently they float on the surface of…
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pteridoides); triangle water fern (C. richardii); and water sprite (C. thalictroides). The plants are widespread in tropical and warm temperate regions around the world, and several are cultivated as aquarium plants. Although water ferns sometimes root in mud, more frequently they float on the surface of…
Read More