Japanese name: ミゾシダ（溝羊歯） Scientific name:Stegnogramma pozoi subsp. mollissima
[Overview]
A terrestrial fern growing in damp places in forests in hills and mountains, and near ditches in settled areas.
It is summergreen, but becomes evergreen in areas without frost.
The rhizome is thick, creeps long underground, and bears hairs and scales.
The leaves are elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, up to 50 cm long and 20 cm wide, deeply 2-pinnately divided; the pinnae are lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, up to 15 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.
The upper pinnae gradually become smaller, and their bases run down the rachis.
All the veins are free.
Dense white hairs grow on the rachis, the pinna axes and the veins of the leaf.
The sori are linear, borne midway between the midrib and the margin and extending along the veins; they have hairs but are characterized by having no indusium.
The petiole is straw-colored and up to 30 cm long, but shorter than the leaf; it is rather densely hairy and bears brown, triangular scales at the base.
[Notes]
The Japanese name derives from its growing in damp places such as beside ditches.
