Description: This large, generally epiphytic (air-plant) fern will also grow directly on the ground. It produces a dark to light green rosette of fronds that are smooth, leathery, narrow-oblong, usually 0.5-1 m (2-4 ft) long and 5-20 cm (3-8 in) wide, with a prominent, well-rounded, dark midrib underneath.

Distribution: Kartōp is very common in the tropical rain forests of many Pacific islands. It is referred to in English as the "bird's nest fern." In the forests of the Marshall Islands, kartōp can sometimes be seen growing high up in the crotch of a tree.