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Odontosoria chinensis
Also called Common Wedgelet Fern, Fairy Fern, Lace Fern, Pala’a Lace Fern
Chinese creeping fern is a small, lacy fern native to tropical and subtropical Asia and the Pacific, including Hawai'i. It thrives in moist, shaded spots and is most often grown as a ground cover or in a shady garden corner.
Odontosoria chinensis is a fern in the family Lindsaeaceae. Commonly called lace fern (Hawaiian: pala'ā, palae, or palapala'ā), it is native from India to Hawai'i, and south to Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines, as well as other parts of the tropics and sub-tropics. It is commonly found in forest openings and disturbed areas such as landslides, along trails or roads. It grows in moist, shady areas from sea level to an elevation of 4,000 feet.
Hawaiians made red-brown dye from the old fronds. Pala'ā was used to treat "female ailments". It is made into a lei using the hili, or hilo technique - a braiding or plaiting method with only one type of plant material. It is also made into haku with other plants using the wili or winding method and a backing.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Odontosoria chinensis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
