I'd say Fluffy Ruffle (Nephrolepsis exaltata)

You know, homemommy, I am beginning to wonder if I am faced with something similar to a toxic reaction here. Just kidding, of course. However, I have a large bird-nest fern which now has a split-tail frond also!! I have lately done a lot of reading about ferns trying to identify the "fish-tail" or "turkey-tail" ferns in my outdoor garden, and here I have an inside fern trying to do the same thing. I'm wondering: is this a reaction to mistreatment, either too much water, not enough nutrients, times of drought like late last summer in Alabama, or maybe the sanding dust from my husband's porch construction efforts. I've gone so far as to submit the photos to the American Fern Society forums, so time will tell if anyone there has an AHA! moment. Never realized how much I truly enjoy having ferns around, until I started totalling up the ones I have in my yard. Outdoor ferns are the ones I cannot live without. Especially the Japanese holly ferns, the Kimberly Queens, the asparagus ferns, the foxtails. And the true asparagus officinalis is almost like a vine this year. I also have a West Indies variegated holly fern that I found up in Chelmsford MA which I still have in a pot here, but will send it outdoors in about a month.

First I would need to know, if you are hoping for a fern that looks like a fern? Of the ferns with "ferny"/frond-like foliage, you will pretty much be out of luck. All the ones I know of that are easily available will likely get too tall for your bottle and -- assuming they like the environment you are providing -- will absolutely "run amok". Once they get going they will takeover the bottle and crush out any other plant life. The only exception height-wise might be something like Nephrolepsis exaltata 'Fluffy Ruffles'. Some of the clones of that do stay fairly short. However, it will take over the bottle in short order it finds the conditions appealing. I do seem to recalling seeing some rather neat, small, ferny types in my internet wanderings, but they were quite expensive. So then too there is the question of how much is too much to spend, IYO? Now there are ferns that look very little like anything most of us would ever think of as being a fern. The majority have a vining habit and rather "normal" roundish generic plant type leaves. Many types of Pyrossia have this trait. Again, if it is happy, it will likely try to take over. Many of the nifty more mini-types that I have heard of but never tried are going to be on the expensive side. Elaphoglossum peltatum is neat plant but often sells for around $18 or more for a plant in a 2" pot.

Truthfully, finding true minis can be a challenge ... but then that also depends on just how "mini" one considers to be "mini". So much depends upon just what your terr's dimensions are and what appeals to your sense of taste. There are some plants of various dimensions at the link I've provided at the bottom of my post -- though some are not what I would label "mini" while others definitely fit my personal def of "mini". (These are plants I sell off from time to time.) There are mini types of broms one can find and Ficus pumila has small leaves and more of a vining habit. Also some of the Cryptanthus stay managably small. Most ferns, IME, get quite large and will try to take over the entire tank. Nephrolepis exaltata "Fluffy Ruffles"is one of the smaller ferns but it too will become a "thug". Here is a link that might be useful: Some terr plants