bird's-nest fern

American  

[burdz-nest] / ˈbɜrdzˌnɛst /

noun

1. a tropical fern, Asplenium nidus, having fronds arranged in clumps resembling a bird's nest.

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Etymology

Origin of bird's-nest fern

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

There were some superb plants of the glossy tropical-looking bird’s-nest fern, or Asplenium Nidus, which makes its home on the stems and branches of trees, and brightens the forest with its great shining fronds. 

From The Hawaiian Archipelago by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)

Another conspicuous fern is the bird's-nest fern with its large, massive fronds growing under shade on rocks and stems of trees.

From The Heart of Nature or, The Quest for Natural Beauty by Younghusband, Francis Edward, Sir