fragile filmy fern
Hymenophyllum fragile
The fragile filmy fern (Hymenophyllum fragile) is a delicate epiphytic fern characterized by its translucent, film-like fronds that are only one cell layer thick. This diminutive species typically grows in small patches on moss-covered tree trunks and rocks, playing a crucial role in maintaining moisture levels and providing microhabitat for invertebrates in humid forest ecosystems.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Order
Hymenophyllales
Family
Hymenophyllaceae
Genus
Hymenophyllum
fragile filmy fern belongs to the family Hymenophyllaceae, order Hymenophyllales, within the Polypodiopsida class.
Species Profile
The fragile filmy fern (Hymenophyllum fragile) is a delicate epiphytic fern characterized by its translucent, film-like fronds that are only one cell layer thick. This diminutive species typically grows in small patches on moss-covered tree trunks and rocks, playing a crucial role in maintaining moisture levels and providing microhabitat for invertebrates in humid forest ecosystems.
The fragile filmy fern faces severe threats primarily from habitat destruction and degradation of its specialized humid forest environments. Climate change poses additional risks by altering the precise moisture and temperature conditions this delicate epiphytic species requires for survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Hymenophyllum fragile inhabits the humid understory of temperate and subtropical rainforests, growing exclusively on moss-covered surfaces of tree trunks, fallen logs, and shaded rock faces. The species requires consistently high humidity levels and filtered light conditions found in old-growth forest environments with dense canopy cover.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The fragile filmy fern faces severe threats primarily from habitat destruction and degradation of its specialized humid forest environments. Climate change poses additional risks by altering the precise moisture and temperature conditions this delicate epiphytic species requires for survival.
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Habitat loss and forest clearance
Air pollution and atmospheric changes
Human disturbance and trampling
Invasive species competition
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). fragile filmy fern (Hymenophyllum fragile). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/fragile-filmy-fern