Microsorum pteropus 'Broad'

Microsorum pteropus 'Broad' is a cultivar selected for fronds that are notably wider than the standard Java fern, producing bold, broad lance-shaped to ovate fronds of deep green that create a commanding visual presence. The fronds display the classic Java fern leathery texture and can reach 35–45 cm in well-established specimens, making this one of the larger Java fern cultivars and best suited to tanks of 80 litres or more.

The broad frond surface makes 'Broad' somewhat more prone to algae colonisation under high-intensity light, so moderate to low lighting is recommended. In optimal conditions it is a vigorous grower for a Java fern, producing fresh fronds regularly and developing into a lush, forest-like specimen that dominates its area of the aquascape. Like all Java ferns it requires attachment to hardscape rather than substrate planting, and propagates naturally via adventitious plantlets on mature frond undersides.