Blechnum cordatum

Native to tropical South America, from Venezuela and Guyana south to Bolivia, Brazil, and northeastern Argentina, this perennial fern grows on the ground and on rocks. It inhabits moist forests, stream margins, and roadside banks. In Colombia, it occurs between about 650 and 10,200 feet. Its long fronds have leathery, finely toothed leaflets. The spore-bearing fronds are narrower than the leafy fronds, with reduced leaflets carrying continuous bands of spore-producing structures underneath. Photographed in the department of Santander, Colombia.