Hymenophyllum species El Cope, Panama

by Chuck Nishihira
One unfortunate thing about filmy ferns is that the slight differences in size, “filminess”, and presentation is easily lost in photographs.  The delicate nature of these ferns isn’t always translated to the viewer and many filmy’s end up looking similar.  Maybe this is the case with this species from El Cope, Panama.  When looking at this photo, I don’t see all the traits that made this one of my favorites of the trip.  It is a bit more delicate in texture than many of the others.  The shape of it’s leaves as well as the presentation will stick out in my mind for a long time to come.  Hopefully in time, we can figure out how to best capture these subtle qualities better.