Naturalized             Ladder brake, cliff brake, Chinese brake

Latin vittatus, longitudinally striped, probably in reference to the marginal coenosori.

Plants small to medium-sized, terrestrial or epipetric. Rhizomes decumbent, covered with light tan scales. Fronds 14-50(-80) cm long. Stipes 1/10 or less frond length, straw-colored, scaly near base, scales light tan. Blades 1-pinnate, oblanceolate, widest distally, gradually narrowing toward base, light green, chartaceous; rachises and costae straw-colored, fine scaly. Pinnae 8-21 pairs, usually subopposite, short-stalked to slightly adnate, gradually diminishing in size toward base, basal pinnae very short and cordate, margins entire, terminal pinnae similar to lateral pinnae but much longer. Coenosori marginal, light-colored flaps.

Common in urban areas, often on rock walls and dry cliffs, near sea level to 1,310 m, on Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, and Hawai'i. Probably present but not yet collected on Moloka 'i and Lana 'i. Pteris vittata is native to Africa, Asia, and Australia and is now naturalized in scattered warm areas of the world. One of the first ferns naturalized in Hawai 'i, it was first collected on O'ahu in 1887.

Pteris vittata may be recognized by its elongate, 1-pinnate fronds that are wider near the tip and gradually tapering near the base, and by its stipes that are usually only 1/10 the length of the frond. The ter-minal pinnae are similar to lateral pinnae but much longer.