brown lumps on java fern

[iamchris]

just bought some java fern and noticed that there's these brown lumps on the back. Is this normal? I can scrape it off with my fingernail, so it doesn't seem to be a part of the plant at all. The lumps are on the bottom of the leaves. Thanks!

 

[QTOFFER]

Are they arranged in two lines along the length of the leaf? If so, they are the spore sacs from which baby Java ferns will eventually grow.

 

[iamchris]

Here's pictures of them

http://www.rit.edu/~cda8784/pictures/java1.jpg
http://www.rit.edu/~cda8784/pictures/java2.jpg

 

[iamchris]

I hope I'll be a daddy of a nice java fern family

 

[iamchris]

So does anyone know if those are spores? And if they are, is there anything I can do to ensure that they are fertilized (or are they already fertilized), and that they grow?

 

[QTOFFER]

I hope I'll be a daddy of a nice java fern family

Without a doubt - yes!

I looked up the name of the structures - they're called sporangia and are similar to those found on land ferns.

Any question you may have about Java fernand its reproduction should be answered about halfway down this page:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/newsletter/archive.php?action=archive_browse&id=35