FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

This fern like plant came in with the albino Capes I got a couple of years back, but only on one. When I first noticed it, it was small, and I posted a pic. At that time, the general thought was a type of fern. I pulled it then, and several times since, but it keeps coming back, but it is not spreading. (maybe because I kept pulling it out) It seems to be even bigger this year after the pot got left out in an unexpected cold snap and I thought I'd lost the Capes.
However, after a dormancy, not only did the Capes divide (5 now from the original 2), this plant is doing much better.
It doesn't seem to be a danger of crowding out the Capes, I'm just curious as to what it may be.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Chef

It does look like a fern. It probably keeps coming back because of spores on the leaves. Could you take a picture of the bottom of the leaves?

One leaf (frond) happens to be angled to get a pic of the bottom, no spores. Plus, the biggest stem is only about 2 inches long.
Again, it hasn't spread in 2 years, and it only comes up around a single plant. If it were dropping spores or seeds, I would think it would have spread.
Since it doesn't seem to be causing a problem, I haven't pulled it this year to see what it will do. I'm just more curious than anything.

Maybe it’s coming back from the roots?

You're both likely correct, that it's a fern coming back from the root, it just hasn't had enough time to produce spores. I'll leave it as it doesn't seem to be an issue for now. I can always repot it and separate it out if it becomes a nuisance.
Thank you both for your help.
Chef

Ferns, if I remember my botany from years ago, have a haploid and a diploid generation. This would probably be the diploid generation if it's a fern. I think the haploid generation would have looked kind of like a green patch before this sprouted from it. For me, I tend to not notice them in the haploid stage.

I know the ferns in my yard keep coming back when I pull them up, and proliferate all over the place.