| Athyrium niponicum | |
|---|---|
| Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pteridophyta |
| Class: | Pteridopsida |
| Order: | Athyriales |
| Family: | Athyriaceae |
| Genus: | Athyrium |
| Species: | A. niponicum |
| Binomial name | |
| Athyrium niponicum (Mett.) Hance |
|
Athyrium niponicum is a species of fern in the genus Athyrium, native to eastern Asia in Japan, northern China, Korea and Taiwan.
It is a deciduous herbaceous plant, with a whorl of fronds growing from the basal rootstock. The fronds are 25-40 cm tall and 15-25 cm broad, pinnate, with 6-10 pairs of pinnae 4-9 cm long and 2-3 cm broad, deeply lobed, bright green with a dark red-brown stem in the wild plant, with the spore-bearing sori on the underside of all of the pinnae.
The species name is sometimes cited as "nipponicum".
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens; several cultivars have been selected, including 'Pictum' (Japanese Painted Fern) with pale silvery-green fronds and a bright red stem, 'Red Beauty' with yellow fronds and a bright red stem, and 'Pictum Cristatum' with crested fronds. 'Metallicum' is noted for its variegated silver, green and red foliage.