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Water Sprite

Ferns and Fern Allies

Water sprite, Ceratopteris thalictroides, is an aquatic fern of the family Pteridaceae native to tropical and subtropical wetlands of Asia, Africa and Australia, able to grow either rooted in mud with emergent fronds or fully floating and submerged. Its finely divided, feathery fronds and rapid growth have made it one of the most popular plants in the freshwater aquarium hobby, valued both for aquascaping and for its ability to absorb excess nutrients from aquarium water, and in parts of Southeast Asia its young fronds are also eaten as a leafy vegetable.

Facts
Classification
System (Realm)
Freshwater 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 2
Scientific Name
Ceratopteris thalictroides 3
Conservation Status
Least Concern 3
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Pteridophyta, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Water Sprite
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ2946391, descriptionView the Source
3. Wikidata: Water Sprite
  • Wikidata P141 (IUCN conservation status) claim, entity QID Q2946391
  • Child Taxon Of: Pteridophyta, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
International Union for Conservation of NatureView the Source
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