Microsorum thailandicum

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Microsorum thailandicum
Microsorum thailandicum kz01.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Polypodiineae
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Microsorum
Species:
M. thailandicum
Binomial name
Microsorum thailandicum
Boonkerd & Noot. [1]

Microsorum thailandicum is a fern in the family Polypodiaceae. It is sometimes called the blue oil fern. Like several other shady understory plant species, its leaves display blue iridescence. Initially unknown, the mechanism was later described as resulting from cellulose microfibrils stacked into helicoidal structures. Those structures appear on both the adaxial and abaxial epidermal surface, differing, with adaxial (top) epidermis being more blue, white abaxial (bottom) being red-shifted and less intense. [2]

References

  1. Boonkerd, Thaweesakdi; Nooteboom, Hans P. (2001). "A new species of Microsorum (Polypodiaceae) from Thailand". Blumea: Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants. 46 (3): 581–583.
  2. Steiner, Lisa Maria; Ogawa, Yu; Johansen, Villads Egede; Lundquist, Clive R.; Whitney, Heather; Vignolini, Silvia (2018-12-14). "Structural colours in the frond of Microsorum thailandicum". Interface Focus. 9 (1): 20180055. doi:10.1098/rsfs.2018.0055. PMC   6304010 . PMID   30603073.