Category: Eco Park

This photograph of the Mayil Konrai Fern (Actiniopteris radiata) was taken at the Sanjeevi Malai Eco Park area. A small and delicate terrestrial fern, it grows close to the ground, often unnoticed among rocks and dry slopes.

Its leaves are beautifully fan-shaped, spreading like a peacock’s tail, which gives the plant its local name. The leaves arise in clusters from a short rhizome and are usually light green to bluish-green in colour. On the underside, spores are arranged in neat lines near the margins, as the plant reproduces through spores rather than seeds. These spores are dispersed by the wind.

The Mayil Konrai Fern is commonly found in dry rocky areas, hill slopes, and crevices. It thrives in well-drained soil and partial sunlight, making it well suited to semi-arid and tropical climates. One of its most remarkable qualities is its drought tolerance. It can survive long dry periods and quickly turns green again after rainfall – a fascinating resurrection ability that allows it to endure harsh conditions.