Phymatosorus scandens (G. Forst.) Pic. Serm.

scandens: climbing, this fern has a climbing habit.

Rhizome widely creeping, 2-4 mm in diameter; scales brown, narrowly ovate, 2-8 mm long. Fronds spaced apart, dimorphic and musk-scented when fresh, variable, glabrous on both surfaces, herbaceous. Stipe up to 15 cm long, pale brown, glabrous except at articulated base. Lamina up to 50 × 18 cm, linear (young fronds) to elliptic (older fronds), simple, deeply pinnatifid, up to 20 pairs of lobes and a long terminal segment, base tapering into stipe. Pinna lobes slightly falcate, narrowly oblong, attenuate to acute, veins reticulate, margin entire to somewhat wavy. Sori round to oval, 1-2.5 mm in diameter, placed close to the margins, exindusiate, with nonpeltate paraphyses.

Introduced in South Africa and Zimbabwe. A native of Australia, New Zealand and Lord Howe island in Australasia.